Foot (incl. plantar fasciitis, flat feet) decisions — 2007

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for external hemorrhoids and a foot disability, as well as his claim for secondary service connection for degenerative joint disease of the feet. The issues have been remanded to obtain additional medical records and an opinion regarding the relationship between the veteran's current foot condition and his service-connected pes planus.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service medical records from various military facilities and in Bamberg, Germany.

The veteran's appeal is for a higher disability evaluation for his service-connected bilateral claw foot disability, which was previously rated at 30 percent. The case has been remanded to the RO for additional development and due process concerns.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current left ankle/foot disability, right ear disability, skin disability, or post-traumatic stress disorder related to service. As such, these claims are denied.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a circulatory disorder of the left leg, increased rating for a left knee disorder, and increased rating for a left foot disorder were denied. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to military service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral foot condition, including tinea pedis and pes planus, finding no new and material evidence to reopen the claim.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including verification of stressors and VA examinations to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The veteran's request for a refund of the funding fee assessed at the time of his VA loan is denied as he was not receiving compensation at the time of the loan and does not fall under any exempted categories.

The Board found that the veteran's left foot disability was not caused by his active military service or his service-connected left ankle disability, and thus denied the claim for secondary service connection.

The veteran's claims for increased initial ratings on appeal have been denied. The RO has granted service connection for the disabilities, but did not assign any specific disability rating.

The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to service and denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disability.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the veteran's claim of service connection for foot disability or right ankle disability, and thus the application to reopen is denied.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed disabilities, including bilateral flat feet, knee disability, hip disability and low back disability, were not incurred or aggravated during active duty service. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral foot disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, low back disability, and hip disability. The case is remanded for further development.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for plantar warts of the right great toe and left heel are denied as her conditions do not warrant a higher rating under VA regulations.

The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether the veteran's pes planus was aggravated by service, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The residuals of a left ankle sprain are also found to be incurred during service.

The Board granted increased ratings for the veteran's right and left foot hammertoe and valgus deformities, as well as separate compensable ratings for his callosities and plantar warts. The effective date is not specified.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hammertoes and pes planus, finding that new evidence supports a claim of in-service onset. The Board also found that hypertension was not incurred or aggravated by service, and there is no current skin disorder of the scalp.

The veteran's bilateral pes planus has been rated at 30 percent, but the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has granted an increased rating of 50% for bilateral pes planus, effective from the date the claim was filed. Service connection for an irregular heartbeat is denied.