The Board granted service connection for left ankle osteoarthritis with tendinitis and tarsal tunnel syndrome, right ankle osteoarthritis, and an effective date of December 16, 2015, but no earlier, for the increased rating of 30 percent for bilateral pes planus with calluses.
The deciding factor: The private medical opinion provided by the Veteran's podiatrist was consistent with the evidence of record and found that the Veteran's current ankle conditions were more likely than not incurred during active service.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle osteoarthritis with tendinitis and tarsal tunnel syndrome, right ankle osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- May 15, 2025
- Citation
- 25006613
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a headache disability and assigned ratings of 70 percent, 20 percent, and 10 percent for generalized anxiety disorder, right ankle osteoarthritis, and right gamekeepers thumb respectively. The claims for increased ratings for sinusitis, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and the remaining conditions were denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the veteran's claims for further development, including additional VA examinations to assess the current severity and manifestations of his service-connected left hip, left knee, right knee, and right ankle disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for increased ratings for the Veteran's bilateral ankle and right knee disabilities to obtain a medical opinion that discounts any ameliorative effects of medication.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple osteoarthritis conditions, headaches, an acquired psychiatric disorder, diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, and gout based on the evidence showing a relationship to the Veteran's active duty service.
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