The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left ankle disability as secondary to his service-connected chronic synovitis of the left knee was denied. The issue regarding service connection for depression as secondary to his service-connected chronic synovitis of the left knee is also addressed.,The Veteran requested to reopen his claims for service connection for fallen arches of the bilateral feet and for depression as secondary to his service-connected chronic synovitis of the left knee. His request was denied due to lack of new and material evidence.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is no evidence showing that the Veteran's left ankle disability or depression were aggravated beyond their natural progression during service.,The Veteran did not provide sufficient evidence to reopen his claims for fallen arches, as he failed to submit any new and material evidence regarding the in-service aggravation of his foot disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle disability, chronic muscular strain of both feet (claimed as bilateral flat feet), depression
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 12, 2010
- Citation
- 1030102
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1030102.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has expanded the scope of the claim to include any mental health disorder raised by the record and has remanded for additional development regarding service connection for left leg, ankle, and psychiatric disabilities.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining in-service psychiatric treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to July 1, 2016. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. For TDIU, the Veteran had multiple service-connected disabilities but his education and work experience were sufficient for sedentary or light labor employment.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to September 27, 2017. From September 27, 2017, the rating for depression increased to 70 percent.
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