The Veteran's sleep apnea was granted service connection. Initial compensable ratings for his left and right ankle disabilities were granted from July 6, 2009 to June 12, 2011 with a rating of 10 percent each.,Ratings higher than 10 percent for the Veteran's left and right ankle disabilities were granted from June 13, 2011 to April 3, 2014 with a rating of 20 percent each. However, ratings higher than 20 percent since April 4, 2014 have been denied.,The Veteran's service-connected ankle disabilities are rated based on the criteria for limitation of motion.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's sleep apnea had its onset in service and was diagnosed during active duty. His left and right ankle disabilities were manifested by joint pain, X-ray evidence of arthritis, aching pains bilaterally, marked decrease in all activities involving standing or walking, limited dorsiflexion to 10 degrees and plantar flexion to 30 degrees with poor gait propulsion from July 6, 2009 to June 12, 2011. From June 13, 2011 to April 3, 2014, the disabilities were characterized by aching pains bilaterally and marked decrease in all activities involving standing or walking; dorsiflexion was limited to 10 degrees and plantar flexion was limited to 30 degrees with poor gait propulsion. Since April 4, 2014, the disabilities have been characterized by less movement than usual, weakened movement, excess fatigability, pain on movement, swelling, instability of station, disturbance of locomotion, and interference with sitting, standing, and weight-bearing, and the need to use a cane.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, left ankle disability, right ankle disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 26, 2015
- Citation
- 1527391
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 1527391.
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.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disease manifesting within one year after service and concluding that the current disability is not related to his in-service deviated septum.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea. The Veteran will be provided with a VA examination to determine if his current sleep disorder is related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the issue of service connection for sleep apnea due to insufficient medical opinions and need for further development.
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