The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found no evidence of marked limitation of motion in the ankles, or other conditions that would warrant a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not support findings of marked limitation of motion in either ankle, nor any other condition that would justify an increase in the current 10 percent ratings for the ankle conditions. The Veteran's service connection claims were also denied as there was no evidence to support the presence of a service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease of the Left Ankle, Myofascial Pain Syndrome of the Right Ankle with Lateral Laxity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 7, 2013
- Citation
- 1314976
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 1314976.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's left ankle DJD and instability are each rated at 20 percent, with the instability issue being granted. The rating for DJD remains denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate reasoning in its previous decision regarding a rating higher than 20 percent for degenerative joint disease of the left ankle. The Veteran's testimony during his May 2013 hearing was not adequately addressed, and the Court ordered additional development including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling an examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for traumatic brain injury, left knee degenerative joint disease, and left ankle degenerative joint disease have been granted. The service connection is established based on direct evidence of the conditions during active duty.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the issues of an initial compensable rating for PFB, service connection for a chronic low back disorder, service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left ankle, service connection for chronic cardiovascular disease, and service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
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