The Board finds that the veteran's current aching joints, muscle cramps, and left ankle pain are not service-connected. However, by resolving all doubts in favor of the veteran, the residuals of his left ankle sprain sustained during service are granted.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no clinical diagnosis or functional disability for the veteran's left ankle, but the MRI performed in 2003 showed changes specific to a sprain-type injury. The Board resolved all doubts in favor of the veteran and granted service connection for his residuals of a left ankle sprain.
- Claimed conditions
- aching joints, muscle cramps, left ankle pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 31, 2006
- Citation
- 0633727
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,599 · Granted: 37% (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 0633727.
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.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal for service connection for various conditions including hypoglycemia, sinusitis, left foot pes planus, right foot pes planus, right foot plantar fasciitis, left ankle pain, left hip osteoarthritis, left knee sprain, bradycardia, dry eye, hernia, hypercholesterolemia, and bilateral hearing loss.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's peripheral vascular disease is being remanded due to a duty to assist error, and an addendum opinion is needed to determine if the condition is related to service or his service-connected CAD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right ankle pain due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The AOJ should have provided a VA examination/medical opinion prior to denying the claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error that occurred prior to the initial decision. The Veteran's service-connected left tibia stress fracture is associated with residual disabilities of his left foot, knee, and ankle.
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