Foot (incl. plantar fasciitis, flat feet) decisions — 2010

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran seeks service connection for left foot and intestinal disabilities, including hemorrhoids. The Board finds that VA medical examinations are needed to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disability, finding that her August 2007 Notice of Disagreement (NOD) was not timely filed with respect to the February 1998 rating decision. The April 2006 Board decision subsumed the February 1998 decision.

The Board found that the Veteran's post-operative plantar fasciitis and hallux valgus of the right foot is not more than moderate in degree, thus denying a higher evaluation for this disability.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left hip trochanteric bursitis and bilateral pes planus, finding that the evidence raises a reasonable doubt as to whether these conditions are related to service. The Veteran's current symptoms of flat feet were also considered in determining his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence being submitted and a need for further examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations were denied. The Board found no evidence of ankylosis or malunion of the tibia and fibula, which would warrant higher ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral flat feet are rated at 10 percent since October 4, 2006. The Board denied service connection for right and left ankle disorders as they were not shown to be related to his active military duty or any service-connected disability.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for reopening a claim of service connection for bilateral foot disability and seeking service connection for back disability, right ankle disability, and right thumb fracture. The Board has dismissed these matters as the appellant has withdrawn them.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including COPD and bilateral pes planus, do not render him unemployable as his education and occupational experience allow for substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and a hearing before a decision review officer at the RO.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, with depression, has been granted. The remaining issues on appeal are addressed in the Remand portion of this decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral pes planus, with pronounced symptoms and not improved by orthopedic shoes or appliances, warrants a 50 percent evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for pes planus of the left foot with callosities was denied. The claims to reopen for right foot pes planus and right foot callosities were also denied, but new evidence was submitted that raised a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims. Obstructive sleep apnea was not shown to be related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to afford him an updated VA podiatry examination for his bilateral foot disability and to adjudicate the issue of TDIU as raised by the record.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including an opportunity to undergo a VA examination.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of bilateral pes planus and granted it, finding that her pre-existing pes planus was aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's pes planus was aggravated by service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The claims of hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's history of right ankle sprain is due to a disease or injury incurred in active service. Service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's pre-existing bilateral pes planus was not aggravated by service and denied his claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disability. The claims for sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and respiratory disorder (hay fever and sleep apnea) are remanded due to insufficient evidence of in-service onset or continuity of symptoms.