Foot (incl. plantar fasciitis, flat feet) decisions — 2014

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, left knee disability, cardiovascular condition, neck disability, lumbar spine disability, right knee disability, and left foot disability have been reopened. Claims for scars of the face and head and residuals of a right thumb and hand injury were not reopened.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral pes planus. The Veteran's pre-existing bilateral pes planus is found to have been aggravated by his active duty service.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral foot disability, but the appeal has been remanded due to incomplete records and further development is needed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to address his claims of service connection for tinnitus and a bilateral foot disorder. The Board will consider these findings in their subsequent decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of an adequate statement of reasons or bases for its decision, specifically failing to address whether the Veteran's testimony offered at his hearing indicated a material change in his disability triggering the necessity for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable initial rating for residuals of laceration of the left index finger was denied, as his disability did not meet the criteria for any higher evaluation. The claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disorder was also denied.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus was rated at 10 percent prior to July 28, 2010 and upgraded to 30 percent thereafter.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pes planus preexisted service and was not aggravated by service, thus denying the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss have been denied. The claim for service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis remains pending.,Service connection was not granted as the Veteran does not have a current psychiatric disability, and his personality disorder is not considered a disease or injury under VA law.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral pes planus, and status post bunionectomy with surgical correction of hammertoes in both feet were denied as the evidence did not show that his service-connected disabilities warranted a rating higher than 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of kidney stones, and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining relevant medical records and conducting examinations to assess the severity of his plantar fasciitis and allergic rhinitis.

The Board found that the Veteran's current diagnosed bilateral foot condition is less likely related to his active service and more likely due to aging. Therefore, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic lumbar strain is not found to have caused or aggravated any of his claimed bilateral hip, knee, ankle, or foot disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining an opinion on the etiology of his left foot disability and whether it was caused or aggravated by his service-connected left knee internal derangement with traumatic DJD.

The Board has remanded the case for further clarification of a VA examiner's opinion regarding whether the Veteran's preexisting right foot condition was aggravated by service. The case will be returned to the RO/AMC for re-adjudication.

The Board has dismissed the appeal of entitlement to service connection for a foot disability. The claim of service connection for painful menstrual cramps, also claimed as a total abdominal hysterectomy, is reopened and granted. Service connection is established for residuals of a total abdominal hysterectomy.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling of VA examinations and obtaining any outstanding VA treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings and initial disability ratings were denied. The RO found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's calcaneal spurs of the left foot are currently rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 5276. The Board finds that this evaluation adequately reflects the severity and symptoms of his disability.