The Veteran's post-traumatic arthritis of the left ankle is rated at 20 percent, but his right ankle remains at 20 percent without further increase.
The deciding factor: The limitation of motion in both ankles was considered, with ankylosis not present and no higher rating warranted based on the evidence provided.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-traumatic arthritis of the left ankle, Post-traumatic arthritis of the right ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 6, 2009
- Citation
- 0908345
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,325 · Granted: 31% (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 0908345.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
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 claim for TDIU, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining results of an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and other relevant VA treatment records. The right ankle claim may require a medical opinion regarding whether the foot condition stems from the same injury as the ankle condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied due to the character of his discharge. The Board of Correction of Naval Records upgraded his discharge from general court martial to under honorable conditions in February 2008, which allowed him to receive VA benefits. However, an earlier effective date was not granted as it would have been based on when he filed for correction of his military records.
- Granted
The Veteran's right ankle disability, which is the only service-connected condition at issue, has been rated as 10 percent disabling since October 2009. Effective February 22, 2013, his disability rating was increased to 30 percent due to ankylosis of the ankle in dorsiflexion between 0 and 10 degrees. The Veteran is not entitled to SMC based on need for regular A&A or being housebound.
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