The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left ankle disability and scar of the left ankle, finding that the evidence did not warrant a rating in excess of 20 percent for the left ankle disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no ankylosis or malunion of the tibia and fibula, and noted moderate limitation of motion without significant deformity. The veteran's leg length inequality was within normal limits and did not affect his activities of daily living.
- Claimed conditions
- post-traumatic arthritis of the left ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- November 14, 2008
- Citation
- 0839203
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 0839203.
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 Board granted service connection for left ankle instability as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left ankle disability and hypertension, but denied increased ratings for the left ankle disability and other forms of arthritis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his left ankle disability and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including another VA compensation examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected post-traumatic arthritis of the left ankle is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling an orthopedic examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his left ankle disability, including SMC prior to January 10, 2013, was granted. He is now rated at 40 percent under Diagnostic Code 5167 effective from March 18, 2009.
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