Va Disability Ankle Secondary

Well my ankle has gradually gotten worse and my right knee has also gotten worse so I went filed a claim last year in May to get bumped up for my ankle and also have my right knee added as secondary to my left ankle.

Va disability ankle secondary. For instance you may have broken your right foot during combat the service-connected injury. The DoD will also rate service-connected conditions as long as they also make the service member Unfit for Duty. A secondary service-connected disability is one that is either aggravated or caused by an already service-connected condition. One of the most common diseases that veterans exposed to AO developed is diabetes.

REASONS AND BASES FOR FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS I. Many veterans suffer from ankle tendonitis due to the physical demands of active duty military service. Oftentimes a veterans active duty service requires them to be on their feet most of the day. This disease can cause a variety of secondary problems to include neuropathy to the limps kidney disease cataracts etc.

This then results in a foot condition because you are putting extra pressure on one of your feet. I was bumped down from 20 to 10 for my left ankle. During this time veterans may be engaged in fitness-related activities and jobs that require a lot of physical exertion. Its possible that an ankle disability can cause you to walk with a long-term limp.

Secondary Disabilities can also be amplified by a knee injury so if you are already working on your VA Disability claim make sure you include your knee pain in the application. A right ankle injury and a left knee injury change the calculation of your rating. Opposingly there are medical opinions that right knee pathology variously diagnosed is caused by alteration of the veterans gait first due to compensation for pain in the service-connected right ankle and ultimate with contribution from the left ankle itself service-connected secondary to and hence now part of the right ankle disability. Not only did I get denied for my right knee.

Suggested Citation9 Service Connection on Aggravation and Secondary BasesInstitute of Medicine. For Reservists the condition must have occurred in or resulted from an injury in the Line of Duty to qualify. A 21st Century System for Evaluating Veterans for Disability BenefitsWashington DC. For example you have a service-connected knee condition that causes you to alter your gait.

By favoring either your left or right side for an extended amount of time you may begin to experience problems in your knees hips or back. For example a person with a ruptured Achilles heel and a bent joint may receive 20 due to the limitation of flexion or motion in the ankle. When this occurs you can file a claim with the VA for a secondary service connection for additional benefits. FINDINGS OF FACT The Veteran has a diagnosis of low back pain with X-ray evidence of mild degenerative disc changes and service connection for a left ankle disability has been in effect from May 1995.

Another way of obtaining a VA rating for ankle instability is by proving a secondary service connection. After everything is reviewed and finalized you will be given a combined rating. These secondary conditions can be service-connected due to diabetes. Duties to Notify and Assist At the outset the Board finds that because its decision to award service connection for low back bilateral knee and left ankle disabilities as secondary to the service-connected right ankle disability and tinnitus in the decision below is a complete grant of the benefits sought a discussion of VAs duty to notify and assist is not necessary.

The National Academies Press. Disabled veterans can file a VA disability claim for tendonitis along with other service-related conditions. Service connection for a low back disability claimed as secondary to a service connected left ankle disability is granted.