The Board found that the Veteran's right ankle disorder did not have onset during service and is not related to his military service, thus denying his claim for service connection.
The deciding factor: There was no evidence of a chronic right ankle disorder in service or any link between current symptoms and service. The Veteran's present condition is best explained by a history of an old injury sustained while playing football during basic training, which led to ongoing strain and calcification without arthritis development.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ankle strain, Calcification of soft tissue adjoining lateral malleolus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 15, 2017
- Citation
- 1733142
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 1733142.
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 Board has granted service connection for cervical spine strain, right wrist sprain, right knee strain, left knee strain, and right ankle strain. The disabilities are all deemed to have begun during the Veteran's active duty.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for a cervical spine disability, right ankle strain, and mild right foot retrocalcaneal spur as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease that could be linked to the current disabilities.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right ankle strain and remanded the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of an adequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right ankle strain. The claim will be returned for further development.
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