Foot (incl. plantar fasciitis, flat feet) decisions — 2012

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis is being remanded due to the need for further development, including consideration of staged ratings and potential extraschedular evaluation.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a right foot disability or low back disability incurred in service, and the current conditions are not related to service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to a change in his combined disability rating, and he no longer wishes to continue with the appeal.

The Veteran's appeal was withdrawn regarding the issue of entitlement to service connection for a heart disability. The Board denied claims for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss disability, and lordosis of the thoracic spine as there is no verified in-service stressor or credible supporting evidence that the claimed events occurred.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion regarding his bilateral pes planus and issuing a statement of the case for his tinea versicolor claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee pain, lower leg muscle disorder with flat feet, and left foot disability are not related to his military service. The low back disability is also denied as there is no evidence of a current condition within one year post-service.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as his service-connected conditions did not meet the criteria for increased ratings. The left foot disability, hypertension, right wrist and elbow disabilities were all found to be rated appropriately based on their current manifestations.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to her period of active service. The claims for right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and migraine headaches are denied as not supported by evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board denied service connection for a right arm disability and pes planus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions were not incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions were granted, with a disability rating of 20% for the cervical spine condition. The effective date is not specified.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to fully and correctly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining relevant medical records and conducting a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for bilateral pes planus is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records and provide a new VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral foot disability is not related to his active service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran has been diagnosed with pes planus and plantar fasciitis that are as likely as not related to her active service. The Board finds it at least as likely as not that these conditions were incurred during active duty.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that pes planus was not aggravated by service and that none of the other claimed conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the current status of his service-connected disabilities and consideration of whether separate ratings are warranted.

The Veteran's hallux limitus is related to his service-connected pes planus. The Board finds that the VA Chief of Podiatry Section's opinion, which relates the Veteran's currently diagnosed hallux limitus to his service-connected pes planus, is the most probative evidence as to the etiology of the disorder.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations were partially successful. He was granted compensable ratings for his knee conditions, but denied an increase in evaluation for his right shoulder disability.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD and bilateral pes planus have been granted, with service connection established based on direct evidence of a link between the conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's preexisting bilateral pes planus was aggravated by active duty service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.