The Board found that the veteran's pre-existing chip fracture or smooth extra ossicle adjacent to the left lateral malleolus existed prior to his military service and did not result in any aggravation or permanent increase in severity during service. Therefore, the residuals of a right ankle fracture were not incurred or aggravated by active military service.
The deciding factor: The preexisting chip fracture or smooth extra ossicle was noted to be very old and either congenital or secondary to an injury at age 11, which existed prior to the veteran's entry into service. The soft tissue injury sustained during service did not result in any aggravation of this preservice condition.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of a right ankle fracture
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 17, 2006
- Citation
- 0604720
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claim for a compensable rating for hemorrhoids was denied, but the claim for TDIU from December 15, 2020 to September 1, 2022 was granted.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a right ankle fracture with arthritis and edema of the right foot, finding that there was no evidence linking his current conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Board has restored a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's residuals of a right ankle fracture, effective February 7, 2014. The claim for an increased disability rating greater than 20 percent for residuals of a right ankle fracture is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA examinations for both conditions are inadequate and remands the cases for further development.
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