Foot (incl. plantar fasciitis, flat feet) decisions — 2004

The veteran's claims for increased evaluation, service connection for flat feet, right knee strain, and hypertension were denied. The claim for service connection for flat feet was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence. Service connection for hypertension was also denied as there is no evidence linking the condition to active service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional medical records and an opinion regarding the etiology of the veteran's right foot disability.

The veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for bilateral pes planus is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional records from Evans Army Hospital and consider all evidence added since the August 2002 Statement of the Case.

The Board found that the appellant's pes planus did not increase in severity during active military service and thus denied service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to missing service medical records.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee and left foot disabilities were not incurred or aggravated during service, nor are they presumed to have been incurred therein. The claims for service connection are denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran currently does not have a psychiatric disorder, right foot disability, or low back strain due to service. The Board found that any current disabilities are unrelated to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left foot disorders were not incurred in or aggravated by military service, and his degenerative arthritis of the first metacarpophalangeal joint may not be presumed to have been incurred in service.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for scheduling a Travel Board hearing on whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen the service connection claim for a bilateral foot disability.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine the severity of her bilateral foot disability.

The Board found that the veteran's pes planus, a congenital abnormality, was not incurred or aggravated by service and granted service connection based on this finding.

The VA denied service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions, finding that none of them were incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Board has denied reopening of the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral flat feet and degenerative disc disease of the cervical and lumbosacral spine were not incurred in or related to service. The claim for secondary service connection was also denied as there was no service-connected condition upon which to base a secondary claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's peripheral neuropathy of both feet and bilateral pes planus are either directly related to service or have been aggravated by pre-existing conditions, warranting a grant of service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral pes planus existed prior to service and did not increase in severity during military service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for left eye aphakia, hypertension, and service connection for right eye cataract, bilateral foot disability, and low back disability were denied. The RO also granted service connection for major depression with a 30 percent evaluation effective September 2, 1999.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine if the veteran's low back and bilateral foot disabilities are related to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral pes planus, finding that it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5276.

The veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities was denied as his service-connected bilateral pes planus does not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.