Foot (incl. plantar fasciitis, flat feet) decisions — 2006

The Board has remanded the case due to an error in the prior rating decision and a need for new and material evidence. The veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral pes planus is being considered, as well as his secondary service connection claim for a back disorder.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have bilateral pes cavus with hammer toe deformity bilaterally and a heel spur on the plantar aspect of the left foot or asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that are causally related to service. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current disabilities for the claimed conditions of bilateral knee, ankle, headaches, jaw pain, sinus, foot, and eye. Therefore, service connection is denied.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling him for VA medical examination of his bilateral knee and foot disabilities. The RO must also notify the veteran about the consequences of failing to report for the examinations.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to increased ratings for his right knee disability, left knee disability, and bilateral pes planus. The denial was based on the veteran's failure to report for scheduled VA examinations.

The Board has determined that the veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for a 50 percent rating for anxiety, effective July 20, 1992. The issue of service connection for a lower back disability and bilateral pes planus is denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral flat feet and hammer toes, as well as secondary service connection for bilateral above-the-knee amputations. The decision found that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim, and that there was no evidence showing that the amputations were caused by his service-connected calluses of the feet.

The Board granted service connection and assigned a noncompensable rating for bilateral plantar fasciitis, and a 30 percent rating for psoriasis. The effective date of the initial ratings was May 2, 2000.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and providing a VA examination to determine if current pes planus had its onset in service.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his left knee and bilateral pes planus were denied as the current ratings adequately reflect the severity of these conditions.

The Board has granted a 30 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected bilateral plantar fasciitis, finding that his symptoms more nearly approximate those of a severe condition.

The Board has granted service connection for residual right scapular fibromyositis and myalgia, as well as pes planus (flat feet), due to injury sustained in a motor vehicle accident during active service.,Service connection was denied for chest pain, as there is no evidence of current disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability and noting that any foot problems began several years after separation from active service.

The Board denied increased disability ratings for the veteran's service-connected low back injury, bilateral knee surgeries, right shoulder strain, and bilateral plantar fasciitis with pes planus. The decision also addressed an increase in dysthymia but did not assign a new rating.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claims for service connection for headaches, back pain, and pes planus. Therefore, these claims remain denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral pes planus does not warrant a disability rating in excess of 30 percent, as it does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation under any applicable diagnostic code.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral foot disability, left knee conditions, and right hand/wrist and GERD. The reasons given were that there was no evidence of chronic foot problems during service or until many years after service, and that any current foot disorders are not related to active service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus and left knee strain do not warrant ratings in excess of 10 percent, as there is no evidence of severe or pronounced deformity or swelling on use. The veteran's conditions are rated based on symptoms reflecting degenerative arthritis.