Foot (incl. plantar fasciitis, flat feet) decisions — 2018

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, an acquired psychiatric disorder (adjustment disorder with depression), arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, degenerative changes of the left and right ankles, and bilateral pes planus. The issues have been resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disorder, finding that her current diagnosed conditions (bilateral hammertoes, hallux valgus, and pes planus) are congenital diseases that did not manifest during or worsen due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for low back disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, bilateral foot disability, and allergic rhinitis as these conditions are not related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral pes planus and GERD have been reopened. The claim for GERD is granted, while the claim for bilateral pes planus is remanded due to lack of a VA examination. New evidence has raised a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's preexisting pes planus may have been aggravated by service, and thus a remand is necessary to obtain an examination and medical opinion regarding this issue.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence in previous decisions, and an additional VA examination is needed.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral plantar fasciitis is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is remanded. The Board finds that referral to the Director for extraschedular TDIU consideration under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b) is warranted.

The Veteran's claim for impaired fasting glucose was denied as it is not a disability for VA compensation purposes.,PTSD service connection was granted with an effective date of December 29, 2016. An earlier effective date prior to this date was denied.,An initial PTSD rating in excess of 10 percent was denied.,Bilateral pes planus service connection was granted with an effective date of April 29, 2011. An earlier effective date prior to this date was denied.,Service connection for a skin disability was denied.,Allergic rhinitis was granted as related to the Veteran's active service.,The claims for cervical spine and sinus disabilities were reopened.

The Veteran's appeal is for increased ratings and secondary service connection for various disabilities. The claims are being remanded to obtain new VA examinations.,The Veteran has multiple service-connected conditions, including bilateral pes planus, shin splints of the left and right lower extremities, lumbar spine disability, bilateral ankle disability, and bilateral knee disability. He is seeking higher ratings for his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left foot and shoulder disabilities have been remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records.

The claims of service connection for gout, bilateral congenital pes planus, posttraumatic stress disorder, and depression are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left foot disability, finding that it is directly caused by injuries sustained during her military service.

The Board has granted service connection for left and right foot plantar fasciitis. Service connection is also remanded for bilateral pes planus and allergic rhinitis.

The Veteran's fibromyalgia, left ankle sprain residuals, sinusitis, and left ventricular hypertrophy with AV block are all granted as service-connected. The flat feet, allergic rhinitis, shortness of breath, hypertension, and IBS are remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus was granted service connection as it worsened during service. Service connection for hypertension, which is not considered a chronic disease under VA law, was denied due to the lack of evidence linking it to service or to the service-connected pes planus.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's pes planus (flat feet) is related to his time in service. The Veteran contends that he had flat feet on entry into service and that his time in service made his condition worse.

The Veteran's appeal of his mental health disability claim is dismissed. The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back and bilateral foot disabilities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a hand disability, low back disability, foot disability, and acquired psychiatric disability (depression). The appeals are being remanded due to missing service treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including hypertension with chronic kidney disease, bilateral plantar fasciitis, right knee tendonitis, left knee damaged meniscus, and right knee instability, render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.