Foot (incl. plantar fasciitis, flat feet) decisions — 2015

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including healed fractures of the bilateral tibia and fibula, left knee arthritis, right knee arthritis, lumbar spine arthritis, right knee instability, and plantar fasciitis, preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantial gainful employment as of July 23, 2011. The Board grants a TDIU starting from that date.

The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to service connection for hammer toes, bilaterally due to insufficient rationale in a previous VA examination and the need for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, as his combined rating is less than the required 70% under VA regulations.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to missing records and unverified service information.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and additional medical records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative intervertebral disc disease of the lumbar spine and cervical spine, as well as other conditions, have been considered. The claim for a compensable rating for residuals of a left elbow injury is granted, with an effective date to be determined based on further review. Service connection for varicose veins was denied previously. Compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for dental issues has also been addressed.

The Veteran's bilateral degenerative arthritis with bilateral pes planus and hallux valgus is rated at 50 percent, the maximum rating available under Diagnostic Code 5276. The right knee degenerative arthritis with subluxation prior to February 20, 2014 is also rated at 30 percent.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis has been rated at 10 percent since November 2008. The claim for PFB was denied, and the issue of reopening the low back pain claim is granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.,The Veteran is seeking an initial compensable evaluation for his bilateral hearing loss. The VA will provide a new examination to assess the current severity of this condition.,The Veteran seeks service connection for right ankle disability, sleep apnea, GERD, sinus disability, pes planus (flatfoot), and right knee disability. A VA examination is needed to determine the etiology of these conditions.,The Veteran claims that his sleep apnea may be related to military service. The VA will provide a new examination to assess whether this condition was caused by or is the result of his military service.,The Veteran seeks service connection for GERD, which he believes may be related to in-service gastrointestinal issues. A VA examination will determine if there is a link between his current condition and his military service.,The Veteran claims that his sinus disability may be linked to military service. The VA will provide an examination to assess the etiology of this condition.,The Veteran seeks service connection for pes planus (flatfoot), which he believes was aggravated by military service. A VA examination is needed to determine if there is a link between his current condition and his military service.,The Veteran claims that his right knee disability may be related to military service. The VA will provide an examination to assess the etiology of this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including additional VA examinations and consideration of his claims. The issues include service connection for a sleep disorder, as well as increased ratings for various foot and ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records and an examination to determine the likely etiology of any diagnosed foot or ankle disabilities.

The Veteran was not diagnosed with a chronic bilateral shoulder/arm disability at any point during the appeal period.,A chronic bilateral hand disability was not manifest in active service, arthritis of the hands was not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of discharge from active duty, and any bilateral hand disability was not otherwise etiologically related to active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left foot disability and TDIU have been remanded due to the RO not issuing a Statement of the Case (SOC).

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for bilateral pes planus since May 1, 2015.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis and left Achilles tendonitis, effective April 28, 2000. The Veteran's initial claims were denied in November 2000 due to lack of evidence at that time, but the VA received relevant official service department records subsequent to this denial.

The Veteran was granted service connection for glaucoma and other conditions, but his application for S-DVI was deemed untimely due to a temporary mental incompetency resulting from medical treatment. The Board found that the evidence satisfied the requirement of satisfactory evidence of mental incapacity during any part of the two-year period following the April 2011 rating decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The issues of increased rating for bilateral pes planus, TDIU based on all service-connected disabilities, and reopening the claim for spongiotic dermatitis are also being addressed.

The Veteran's tinnitus was incurred in service and the Board finds that he is entitled to service connection for this condition. The Veteran's right ear hearing loss, ankle disabilities, knee disabilities, foot disabilities, left eye disability, hypertension, and sleep apnea are presumed to have been incurred due to his exposure to noise during military service.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for cervical spine degenerative disc disease, lumbar/thoracic spine disability, hiatal hernia with gastroesophageal reflux disease, and right foot plantar fasciitis were denied. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating in any of these cases.

The Board denied service connection for glaucoma, an acquired psychiatric disability, and other conditions. The Veteran appealed these decisions to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (Veterans Court), which granted a joint motion vacating the May 2009 decision denying service connection for glaucoma and an acquired psychiatric disability and remanded those issues to the Board.