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

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current bilateral foot disability or stomach ulcer related to service and thus, denied both claims.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of evidence linking his current conditions to his military service.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for bullous emphysema and/or cystic disease of the right lung was denied. The claim for reopening his pes planus claim has been reopened, but he is not entitled to an increased rating for his service-connected disability.

The veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral pes planus is denied. The claims for sleep apnea with cor pulmonale and polycythemia are pending as the case has been remanded.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a bilateral foot disability other than his service-connected skin disease. The evidence does not establish a causal link between any diagnosed condition and active service.

The Board found that the veteran's preexisting foot disability manifested by pes planus was not aggravated by service and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him helpless or so nearly helpless as to require regular aid and attendance. The Board denied the claim for special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, a nervous condition, and a right foot disability due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran incurred tinnitus in service and granted service connection for this condition. The issue of a compensable evaluation for bilateral pes planus is remanded due to insufficient medical evidence.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral foot disability, left hip, knee, and ankle disabilities, as well as a skin condition, were denied by the RO. The decision did not address the issue of service connection based on exposure to burn pits, Agent Orange, Camp Lejeune, radiation, Gulf War Syndrome, or other presumptive conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a right foot disability that is related to his military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a chronic bilateral flat foot disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA medical examination and consideration of new evidence.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a current psychiatric disorder and denied his claim for service connection. For flat feet, the Board determined that the preexisting condition did not worsen during service.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from caring for his daily personal needs and do not render him unable to protect himself from the hazards of daily living, thus he does not meet the criteria for SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance or being housebound.

The veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis is being reviewed due to the need for additional medical examination and information from his VA outpatient records. The examiner will determine if it is at least as likely as not that the condition was caused by or aggravated by his service-connected arthralgias and myalgias.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral pes planus does not meet or approximate the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 5276, and therefore denied his claim for an increased rating.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for reopening his service connection claims for glaucoma and pes planus due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board denied all claims, including those for increased ratings for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss, as well as the service connection claim for a dental disability. The issue of reopening the previously denied claim for residuals of an injury to the back and legs was also denied.

The veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches was granted. The veteran received a compensable evaluation (10%) for her scars, status post breast reduction. She also received an increased initial evaluation of 10% for chondromalacia patella in the left knee and a 10% evaluation from February 25, 2005 onwards for chondromalacia patella in the right knee.

The Board has denied the appellant's claims for service connection for a bilateral foot disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there is no link between these conditions and his military service.