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

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability for each of the conditions he is seeking service connection for, and thus his claims are denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluation of his left foot condition, service connection for right foot pes planus, and service connection for knee disabilities and low back DDD as secondary to his service-connected left foot disorder. The evidence did not establish chronicity or a nexus between these conditions and service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various pulmonary disorders, hypertension, chronic sore throat, tinea corpus (claimed as a body rash), and a plantar wart of the right foot. The evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions are related to military service.

The Board found that the veteran's left foot disability, including hammertoes, was aggravated by his military service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including an upper gastrointestinal bulb disorder, chronic prostatitis, residuals of a bladder injury, flat feet, hypertension, rupture and strain of the left testicle, residuals of muscle strain and cartilage injury of the stomach, heart and chest, hiatal hernia, left leg and groin disability (to include varicose veins), and residuals of broken ribs.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected pes planus, arthritis of the right ankle, and arthritis of the left ankle.

The Board has ordered further development due to pending issues, including a request for a podiatric examination. The case is now remanded back to the RO for additional development.

The Board has ordered further development in the veteran's case due to pending issues regarding service connection for psychiatric disorder, left hip disability, and bilateral foot disability. The case is now remanded back to the RO for additional examinations and consideration.

The veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral pes planus, which he claims developed during military service. The Board has determined that additional development is necessary due to conflicting evidence and the need to clarify the nature of his current foot disability.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative changes with painful motion, both feet and assigned a 10 percent rating effective from October 1, 2000.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disability, to include pes planus, is being remanded due to the need for an appropriate hearing and medical examination.

The Board has ordered further development in the veteran's case due to pending issues regarding service connection for various conditions. The appeal is currently being remanded for additional evidence and examination.

The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against the veteran's claims for service connection for pes planus and a cervical spine disability. The veteran's disabilities are not related to her military service.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of the currently assigned 10 percent evaluation for his left foot disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his symptoms and findings.

The Board has determined that service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus is granted, but the claim for higher ratings on other service-connected disabilities remains denied.

The Board granted a 30 percent disability rating for plantar warts of the right foot effective from February 26, 2002. The veteran's claim was reopened on new evidence.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder (claimed as stomach condition) was denied. The Board found that the veteran did not have a diagnosed gastrointestinal disease in service or at any time thereafter, and thus could not establish service connection.

The Board has ordered further development due to pending issues regarding service connection for various foot and knee disabilities. The case is now sent back to the RO for additional examination and consideration.

The veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral pes planus was denied. The VA found that the PTSD claim met the criteria for a 30 percent disability rating, but not higher. The left wrist and numbness in fingertips of the left hand claims were also addressed.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his bilateral pes planus is being remanded due to inconsistencies in the examination reports and a lack of recent medical records.