The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for left ankle traumatic arthritis with partial ankylosis has been denied. The maximum schedular rating under the applicable criteria is already assigned.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's disability meets the criteria for a 20% rating based on marked limitation of motion, which is the highest available rating under DC 5271. No higher rating can be granted as it would exceed the scope of the schedular ratings.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle traumatic arthritis, partial ankylosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- August 27, 2024
- Citation
- A24050525
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 A24050525.
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 Veteran's need for regular aid and attendance is not due to his service-connected disabilities, but rather to nonservice-connected disabilities. The Board denies the claim for SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder, with anxious distress, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, left ankle traumatic arthritis, right ankle traumatic arthritis, left knee chondromalacia, right knee chondromalacia, and left foot pes cavus, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.
- Granted
The veteran's claim for service connection of left hip strain as secondary to left ankle traumatic arthritis was granted.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals as they were not processed under the modernized review system (AMA). The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his left and right ankle conditions are still pending in the legacy appeal system.
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