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

The Veteran's left foot pes planus was incurred during service and is granted as a direct service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of OSA and pes planus are remanded due to insufficient evidence in the record. The Board requests additional opinions from VA medical professionals to determine if these conditions are related to his military service or other factors.

The Veteran's left foot hallux valgus disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and a higher rating is not warranted.,There is no current diagnosis of sleep apnea in the Veteran's records.

The Veteran's OSA and pes planus are granted as service connected, with the presumption of soundness not rebutted for OSA.

The Veteran's representative has withdrawn the appeals for service connection of recurrent right heel disability, bilateral pes planus, and right knee disability. The claims are dismissed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral pes planus, finding that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence of aggravation during service. The preexisting condition was not shown to have worsened in service.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is currently rated at 10 percent, as the range of motion does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5271.,The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent, as it has been determined that there is no compensable limitation of flexion or extension.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation prior to February 12, 2014.

The Board has determined that the VA's previous remand directives were not substantially complied with, and thus the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral foot disability and sleep apnea are being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Veteran's initial claim for service connection of bilateral foot disability, metatarsalgia, and MDD was denied. The rating for the bilateral foot disability is maintained at 10% prior to May 8, 2019, and increased to 30% thereafter. A separate 10% rating is granted for metatarsalgia. The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating of MDD was denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran has a separate and distinct heel disorder that is related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted from July 31, 2006. The Board also referred the issue of TDIU on an extraschedular basis prior to July 31, 2006 for further review.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral pes planus, right foot disability, left foot disability, acquired psychiatric disorder, and migraine headaches due to inadequate VA medical opinions in previous decisions. The case is now before the RO for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical strain, pes planus (flat feet/ fallen arches), and degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine have been granted. The cervical strain claim was reopened due to new evidence linking it to a service injury. Pes planus is considered directly related to service. Cervical strain is found to be secondary to his service-connected back disability.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The issues of bilateral hearing loss, neck disability, and bilateral plantar fasciitis are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's initial 50 percent rating for migraine headaches has been granted, and a TDIU has also been granted. The remaining issues have been remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disorder has been remanded. The Veteran's bilateral pes planus was granted an increased rating from 30% to 50% effective November 17, 2011.

The Veteran's hypertension and coronary artery disease are granted as service-connected. The left foot disability is remanded for further examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected traumatic dislocation.

Service connection has been granted for pes planus of the right foot and left foot. The claims for obstructive sleep apnea, hemorrhoids, and ingrown toenail are being remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left foot disability as secondary to her service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, finding that there is at least as likely as not that her bilateral feet disability was aggravated by her knees conditions.