The VA has determined that the veteran's right ankle disability, characterized by ankylosis and degenerative joint disease, warrants a 30 percent rating based on its current functional impairment.
The deciding factor: The extent of the veteran's ankylosis in his right ankle does not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable diagnostic codes, as it is limited to dorsiflexion between 0 and 10 degrees and plantar flexion between 0 and 10 degrees. The veteran's current functional impairment aligns with the existing rating of 30 percent.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ankle fracture, Ankylosis, Degenerative Joint Disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- July 1, 2004
- Citation
- 0417732
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,669 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0417732.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's motion to revise a March 1975 rating decision that assigned an initial noncompensable disability rating for service-connected right ankle fracture, finding no CUE in the decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's TDIU and Dependents' Educational Assistance claims have been granted effective from November 23, 2019.,The Board has also remanded the Veteran's increased rating claims for his lumbar and cervical spine conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found new and relevant evidence in support of the Veteran's previously denied service-connection claim for a back condition to include degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease. The case is being remanded for further review.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a VA examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of the Veteran's back disability, including whether it is related to service.
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