Foot (incl. plantar fasciitis, flat feet) decisions — 2003

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral pes planus, which was previously denied in July 1949. The reopened claim will now be evaluated on its merits.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral foot disability did not pre-exist service and was not aggravated by service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted an increased evaluation to 30 percent for the veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus, finding that it meets the criteria for severe bilateral pes planus.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for pes planus, left ear hearing loss disability, right ear hearing loss disability, tinnitus, bronchitis, hemorrhoids, and anxiety. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder disorder and granted a 10 percent rating for bilateral pes planus, effective from August 16, 1989.

The Board found that the veteran's preexisting left knee and bilateral pes planus disabilities did not worsen during service, and denied claims for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for spondylolisthesis L5 on S1 and bilateral pes planus with metatarsalgia and callosities, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the current criteria.

The Board found that the veteran's flat feet, calluses, and hammertoes were not incurred in or aggravated during his military service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has granted service connection for arthritis of the right knee, bilateral pes planus (flat feet), and residuals of an injury to the right great toe. The veteran's current conditions are found to be aggravated by his service-connected left knee disorder.

The Board has granted a 30 percent evaluation for severe bilateral pes planus with degenerative changes, but denied the claims for higher evaluations of the right and left knee disabilities.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral pes planus was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability and an increased evaluation for bilateral pes planus, finding no evidence linking the current conditions to his active duty.

The veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for a service-connected right foot disability was dismissed due to the death of the veteran prior to the Board's decision.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for a right foot disability, which was previously denied in 1997.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for asthma and to reopen his claim for service connection for bilateral pes planus. The decision found that asthma was not incurred or aggravated during service, and that there was no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for bilateral pes planus.

The Board found that the veteran's skin disorder, nose disorder, lung disorder, and pes planus were not incurred or aggravated during his active service. The VA medical records did not provide evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The veteran's service-connected conditions do not preclude him from engaging in some form of substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the evidence received since the September 1977 RO decision is not new and material, thus denying the veteran's application to reopen his claim of service connection for a bilateral foot disability, including pes planus.

The Board has granted higher initial disability ratings for the veteran's status-post right first toe fracture with bilateral plantar fasciitis and left ear hearing loss, both rated at 10 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected postoperative bilateral pes planus with hallux valgus and bilateral pterygium with history of macular hole, right eye.