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

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to missing service treatment records and a need to issue a Statement of the Case.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a bilateral knee disability, a left foot disability, and a left shoulder disability as there is no evidence of these conditions during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral pes planus and a nervous condition affecting the hands due to lack of evidence showing aggravation beyond natural progression during active duty.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various hand, knee, hip and foot disabilities have been dismissed due to lack of evidence supporting a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including asthma, bilateral pes planus, and sinusitis, do not render him unemployable prior to February 4, 2008. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against his claim for TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to complications from a cheilectomy of his right foot and a left foot disability, as these issues are inextricably intertwined with the first issue.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder, cervical spine disorder, and pes planus have been granted. The effective date is the date of receipt of his original claim for tinnitus (June 18, 2012).

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's left foot disorders are related to his military service, including his June 1989 hard landing and trauma to both ankles, or caused by or aggravated by his service-connected right foot disability.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability and denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have started during service and has continued since then.,Service connection for bacterial sinusitis with rhinitis is granted, as the evidence is at least in equipoise that it began during service.,Right knee osteoarthritis is granted on reopening of a previously denied claim.,Migraine headaches are granted on reopening of a previously denied claim.,Bilateral pes planus with bilateral plantar fasciitis is granted on reopening of a previously denied claim.,Service connection for right ear hearing loss is established as the evidence supports its onset during service.,Cervical strain with degenerative joint disease is found to be related to service.,Lumbosacral strain with thoracolumbar spine osteoarthritis is found to be related to service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, pes planus, and keloid scarring have been granted. The cases of pes planus and keloid scarring are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development of evidence.

The Veteran's right knee instability is granted with a 10% rating, and service connection for the other conditions (right shoulder rotator cuff tear, left foot plantar fasciitis, and right foot plantar fasciitis) is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's right foot disability, including a fifth metatarsal fracture, was granted a 10 percent rating. The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for her right knee disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for migraine headaches and hemorrhoids, finding no current disability due to active service. The claims of service connection for bilateral foot disability, right hip disability, and right knee disability were not readjudicated as new evidence was not submitted after the final denial in July 2018.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for pes planus with hallux valgus and plantar fasciitis is denied. The Board finds that an increased rating is not warranted due to the maximum schedular rating already awarded. The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, related to his service-connected PTSD and orthopedic disabilities, is remanded as there was a failure to notify him of the scheduled examination.

The Veteran's bilateral foot calluses are rated at a maximum of 30 percent, the highest rating available under Diagnostic Code 5284. The condition is productive of severe impairment and requires use of orthotics.

The Veteran's initial 20 percent rating for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine with cervical spondylosis is granted, and his bilateral foot disability other than left foot fracture residuals, to include pes planus, hallux valgus, and left foot arthritis, remains at a 10 percent rating. Separate ratings are granted for left foot arthritis (10%) and left foot hallux valgus (noncompensable).

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral foot disability, left arm vaccination scar, and initial rating for tension headaches.