The Veteran's service-connected left ankle disability is manifested by painful motion with limited dorsiflexion and plantar flexion, but does not meet the criteria for a higher rating as it does not demonstrate marked limitation of motion.
The deciding factor: The VA examination findings showed that the Veteran's left ankle motion was limited to 40 degrees of plantar flexion and 10 degrees of dorsiflexion during a flare-up, which is within the range considered 'moderate' under Diagnostic Code 5271.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Ankle Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- January 11, 2018
- Citation
- 1802143
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 1802143.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development and to ensure compliance with VA's duty to assist.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a headache disability, hypertension, and an increased rating for a left ankle disability to obtain additional evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance or housebound status due to his service-connected disabilities not meeting the criteria.
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