Foot (incl. plantar fasciitis, flat feet) decisions — 2020

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral pes planus is related to his service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left foot disability, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral foot, leg/knee, hip, headache, psychiatric, lumbar spine, and cervical spine disabilities. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during service or were related to in-service events.

The Veteran's claim to reopen service connection for a left foot disability has been granted. Service connection for prostate cancer and lumbar spine disability remains denied.

The Board has granted service connection for a left shoulder disorder and right foot pes planus, metatarsalgia, hammertoes, and hallux valgus. The Veteran's current diagnoses are considered to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, as they are not severe enough to prevent sedentary work.

The Board has granted service connection on a secondary basis for bilateral plantar fasciitis, left knee osteoarthritis, right knee osteoarthritis, and obstructive sleep apnea as they are found to be at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to issues with the examination process and lack of information from his last employer. The Board will attempt to obtain a VA opinion regarding the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Board denied increased ratings for bilateral knee disabilities and bilateral plantar fasciitis, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent. The decision also denied entitlement to compensable ratings for hallux valgus of both feet.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of fractures of the first and second toes, right foot, as the pre-existing condition did not increase in severity during service beyond its natural progression.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for low back, left knee, and bilateral foot disabilities due to incomplete VA examinations. The Veteran is required to provide information about his treatment and release records from health care providers.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right foot disability, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease and that the current disabilities were not related to his service-connected knee disability.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to incomplete examinations and missing records. The Veteran's right foot disability, TMJ dysfunction, hypothyroidism, and TBI are all under review.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral flat feet, finding that his pre-existing condition did not increase in severity during or as a result of service.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for bilateral pes planus and TDIU are remanded due to incomplete evaluations. The issues of service connection for diabetic ulcers have been resolved.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, neck disability, left knee disability, bilateral pes planus, tonsil condition, and headaches are remanded due to new evidence received since the last final denial. The VA is directed to schedule the Veteran for examinations to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have caused or aggravated his left hip disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render her unable to engage and maintain substantially gainful employment, including in a sedentary environment.

The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date were denied. The Board found that there was no medical evidence to support a factually ascertainable increase in disability prior to August 9, 2018 for bilateral flat feet and left lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve. For lumbar degenerative arthritis, IVDS and spinal stenosis, the effective date is set at August 9, 2018.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, increased rating for lumbar spine disability, and initial compensable rating for bilateral feet disabilities have all been denied. The Board found that there was no evidence of in-service incurrence or a nexus to service for the diabetes claim, and the current ratings were deemed appropriate for the lumbar spine and bilateral feet disabilities.