Foot (incl. plantar fasciitis, flat feet) decisions — 2021

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. Service connection for his bilateral foot conditions, loss of sense of smell, right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and knee conditions are denied.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, PFB, left knee disability, right knee disability, sleep apnea, IBS, acid reflux disability, hemorrhoids, low back disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, pes planus, left foot disability, right foot disability, left ankle disability, and right ankle disability. The issues of service connection for these conditions are REMANDED.

The Veteran's appeal is REMANDED for additional examinations and to obtain updated treatment records. The claims will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus, finding that the Veteran's current condition began during active service and is related to his military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus has been granted service connection.,Service connection for the right foot disability is remanded due to inadequate VA examination and opinion.,Service connection for the left knee condition is remanded due to inadequate VA examination and opinion.,Service connection for the right knee condition is remanded due to inadequate VA examination and opinion.,Service connection for the foot fungus/skin condition is remanded due to inadequate VA examination and opinion.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to inadequate VA examination and opinion.,Service connection for lung condition (to include pneumonia and/or bronchitis) is remanded due to inadequate VA examination and opinion.

The Board denied service connection for left and right foot pes planus, finding that the evidence did not support a nexus between these conditions and active duty service.

The Veteran's left foot degenerative joint disease with plantar fasciitis is granted a 10 percent rating prior to May 23, 2016. The Board denied entitlement to TDIU due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities not precluding him from securing or following substantial gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected PFB, Onychomycosis/Tinea Pedis, and Dry Skin (Ichthyosis Vulgaris) are not rated higher than the current 10% due to the skin conditions affecting less than 20% of his body or exposed areas.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have been shown to preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU on an extra-schedular basis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a new VA examination to determine if his bilateral foot disability is caused or aggravated by his service-connected back and/or left knee disabilities.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability, left knee status post total arthroplasty (left knee disability), and bilateral foot disability, all secondary to his service-connected right knee disability. The claim for service connection for pelvis misalignment is denied due to lack of evidence supporting the diagnosis.

The Veteran's pes planus was permanently aggravated by his military service, and the Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus and denied service connection for left knee disability, right knee disability, lumbar spine disability, and cervical spine disability.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The appellant's pre-existing toe/foot disabilities are alleged to have been aggravated by active service.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU for the period prior to July 16, 2010 due to his service-connected disabilities making it impossible for him to maintain gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for various service-connected conditions was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for any of the conditions, including right knee chondromalacia, left knee Palligrini-Stieda's disease with chondromalacia, seborrheic dermatitis, bilateral pes planus, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, right elbow disability, left elbow disability, bilateral hearing loss disability, residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI), neck or cervical spine disability, and low back or thoracolumbar spine disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left foot pes planus, finding that an examination is needed to determine if his preexisting conditions worsened during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, hiatal hernia, and bilateral plantar warts were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for compression fracture of L1, cervical segmental dysfunction, neck pain, and myofascitis and arthritis, bilateral pes planus, and left shoulder osteoarthritis have been reopened. The Board found that new evidence supports reopening these claims but denied the underlying service connection due to lack of a nexus between the conditions and active service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to determine if his bilateral foot disorder, other than onychomycosis and tinea pedis, is related to service. The VA examiner must also consider the Veteran's reports of pain in service and after service.