The Veteran's initial rating for left Achilles tendon rupture from August 8, 2007 to March 6, 2017 is denied. The case is remanded for further evaluation of the left foot surgical scar and left ankle limitation of motion.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under DC 5284 due to lack of 'moderately severe' impairment, as evidenced by functional impairment in running sports and climbing stairs, along with some atrophy and weakness described by the examiner.
- Claimed conditions
- left Achilles tendon rupture, left foot surgical scar, left ankle limitation of motion
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20080645
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,341 · Granted: 33% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20080645.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from engaging in gainful employment as of January 1, 2019. The Board granted a TDIU effective from that date.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for hearing loss, and the initial compensable ratings for left foot and right foot surgical scars were also denied.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during its pendency.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an increased disability evaluation for his left ankle Achilles tendon rupture, finding that a higher rating was not warranted given the moderate limitation of motion and lack of additional functional impairment beyond what is already contemplated by the current 10 percent rating.
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