The Veteran's current bilateral ankle tendonitis is as likely as not related to his active service, specifically the in-service ankle sprains. The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise and grants the claim of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral ankle disability.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence shows that the Veteran sustained ankle injuries during service but did not seek treatment or develop symptoms until after separation from service. However, the current diagnosis of bilateral ankle tendonitis aligns with the history of in-service sprains and is considered as likely related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral ankle tendonitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 9, 2014
- Citation
- 1430746
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 1430746.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that there was a duty to assist error and remands the claims for bilateral shoulder strain, ankle tendonitis, and patellofemoral pain syndrome due to inadequate VA opinions.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for various conditions, including kidney stones, shoulder injuries, foot and ankle issues, and back problems. The Board dismissed the appeal due to the withdrawal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for his back disability, RLE radiculopathy, right knee disability, left knee disability, or bilateral ankle tendonitis. However, the Veteran's claims for service connection of prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction (ED), SMC based on loss of use of a creative organ, and TDIU were remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including sleep apnea, migraine headaches, cervical spondylosis with myofascial pain syndrome, lumbar DDD, and bilateral ankle tendonitis, render him incapable of re-entering the workforce and working in any substantially gainful capacity. The Board has granted his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
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