The Veteran's service-connected right ankle tendonitis is manifested by no worse than marked limitation of ankle motion, and the criteria for an initial rating greater than 20 percent are not met.
The deciding factor: The VA examination revealed that the Veteran has a diagnosis of chronic right Achilles tendonitis with limited range of motion but no significant additional limitation due to repetitive use. The current disability does not meet the criteria for a higher rating as it only manifests marked limitation of ankle motion, which corresponds to a 20 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 5271.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Achilles tendonitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 26, 2015
- Citation
- 1545536
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1545536.
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: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for increased ratings of his cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and right Achilles tendonitis. The earliest effective date assigned was April 24, 2020.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right and left Achilles tendonitis with osteoarthritis as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus with hallux valgus and calcaneal spurs.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease, left Achilles tendonitis, right Achilles tendonitis, and lattice and vitreous degeneration as the evidence did not show any injury or incident during a period of active duty or Reserve training that could support these claims.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle and bilateral foot disabilities due to inadequate opinions in previous examinations. The AOJ must verify all periods of service, including ACDUTRA/ADT and INACDUTRA/IDT, and obtain an addendum opinion from a medical examiner.
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