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

The Board has remanded the cases for obtaining updated treatment records from VA clinics and facilities where the Veteran received care between 2010 and 2019.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for left foot disability was dismissed as she requested to withdraw her appeal. The Board also remanded cases for respiratory, right foot, and upper back or neck disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for tinnitus have been withdrawn.,Claims of service connection for right knee arthritis, left knee arthritis, bilateral hearing loss disability, diabetes mellitus, psychiatric disorder (to include depression), right foot pes planus and plantar fasciitis, left foot pes planus and plantar fasciitis, and bilateral eye disability (exotropia) have been dismissed due to lack of timely appeal.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to June 29, 2018 and 30 percent thereafter for bilateral plantar fasciitis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbosacral spine disability, bilateral foot disability (pes planus), and recurrent left shoulder disability due to inadequate examinations. Further evaluations are needed to determine if these conditions are related to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted an initial rating of 50 percent for the Veteran's bilateral foot disability, including plantar fasciitis with calcaneal spurs. The maximum rating available under the applicable diagnostic code is assigned.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus with metatarsalgia, hammer toes of the left and right feet, and hallux valgus of both feet are rated at 30 percent prior to April 16, 2013. The Board has remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal for individual unemployability prior to January 14, 2021 is dismissed because the claim has been fully granted and there are no further issues in controversy.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral foot disabilities due to insufficient evidence regarding their onset during or related to military service. The Veteran's initial claim was submitted after he left active duty, and there are no STRs indicating any foot problems.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right wrist, left wrist, left foot pes planus, and right foot flat pes planus due to inadequate examination in April 2016.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a foot disorder other than pes planus, to include peripheral neuropathy. The preponderance of evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's current foot disability began during active service or was related to an in-service event or injury.

The Veteran's hallux valgus and hallux rigidus, status post arthoplasty left third toe with history of fracture left great toe is rated at a 30 percent rating. The Veteran's bilateral foot hyperkeratotic lesions and plantar warts are not compensable. The Veteran's bilateral pes planus with degenerative arthritis is rated at the maximum available schedular rating.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted a 70% rating, and his right upper extremity cervical radiculopathy prior to December 6, 2018 was also granted a 40% rating. The Veteran's right upper extremity cervical radiculopathy since December 6, 2018 is denied any increase in rating beyond the current 40%. A TDIU was granted effective June 20, 2020.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral plantar fasciitis is related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, but has remanded the claims for left knee and lumbar spine disabilities.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected. The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's other claimed conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus is being remanded. The initial ratings for bilateral pes planus, left knee disability, and right knee disability are granted or denied as specified. The appeal regarding service connection for diabetes mellitus remains pending.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate medical opinions and a failure to attend an examination. The Veteran's left ankle and left foot disabilities are being reviewed again with new medical opinions addressing whether they are proximately due to or aggravated by service-connected conditions.

The Board denied service connection for a left foot disability, left ankle arthritis, thick, painful toenails and hammer toes, and tinea unguium (onychomycosis) of the left great toenail. The Veteran's current conditions were not shown to be related to his military service.