The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for his service-connected left ankle and heel spur disability is denied. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher initial evaluation. For the claim of secondary service connection for a left knee disorder, additional examination and opinion are needed to determine if the current left knee condition is related to the service-connected left ankle and heel spur.
The deciding factor: The October 2008 VA fee basis examination did not address whether or not the service-connected degenerative synovitis of the left ankle and left calcaneal heel spur had caused or aggravated the Veteran's current left knee disorder, which is a necessary finding for secondary service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative synovitis of the left ankle and left calcaneal heel spur, Left knee disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 12, 2010
- Citation
- 1009422
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 1009422.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for annual clothing allowances for a left knee sleeve, A&D ointment, hydrocortisone cream, and incontinence briefs due to lack of service connection or evidence that these items cause irreparable damage to outer garments.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea, a left knee disorder, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hiatal hernia, and diverticulitis. A 30 percent rating was also granted for the Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder effective February 26, 2021.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension, but remanded claims for boils/cyst lower extremities/back, bilateral hearing loss, and left knee disorder.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus, left foot disorder (flatfoot and plantar fasciitis), right foot disorder (flatfoot and plantar fasciitis), left ankle disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, lumbar spine disorder, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for bilateral hearing loss was denied.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.