The Board finds that the Veteran has left ankle arthritis, which was first manifested in service and is a chronic disease listed under 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(a). Therefore, service connection for left ankle arthritis is granted.
The deciding factor: The record shows that the Veteran had left ankle arthritis first manifest during service, with X-rays showing arthritis prior to separation from service. The Board finds reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran's claim and grants service connection based on direct evidence of a chronic disease listed under 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(a).
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 4, 2016
- Citation
- 1613479
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 1613479.
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.
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The appeal of the proposed reduction in PTSD rating from 70% to 50%, and for service connection claims related to various joints and diabetes mellitus type II, has been dismissed due to procedural issues. The Veteran withdrew his appeals.
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for left ankle arthritis, left foot nerve damage and numbness, and right ankle sciatica nerve pain due to inadequate opinions in the February 2025 VA examination.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, headaches, hypertension, neck disability, right hand arthritis of fingers, left hand arthritis of fingers, right knee arthritis, left knee arthritis, right ankle arthritis, left ankle arthritis, and left foot arthritis of toes. The Board also remanded the issues regarding service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis.,The Board has denied service connection for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and incontinence. The Board has also denied service connection for a bilateral eye disability.
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