The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his right and left ankle disabilities, as well as the associated scars, have been denied. The Board found that the current 10 percent ratings adequately reflect the functional impairment caused by arthritis in both ankles.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not show any marked limitation of motion or ankylosis, which are required for higher ratings under DCs 5271 and 5273. The Veteran's scars were rated based on their size but do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating as they are neither deep nor nonlinear in areas exceeding 6 square inches.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ankle bone chip, Left ankle bone chip
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20081111
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
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