Foot (incl. plantar fasciitis, flat feet) decisions — 2022

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's preexisting bilateral pes planus and whether it was aggravated by service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the case is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to provide a VA examination.

The Board has withdrawn the appeal of service connection for a prostate disability and has remanded several other issues related to various disabilities, including cervical spine, lumbar spine, shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, foot, upper extremity, lower extremity neuropathies, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's claims are now pending again with the RO.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that her service-connected conditions do not render it impossible for her to obtain or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

Service connection for residuals of right hand, middle finger injury is granted.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and seizures are denied.,Left shin splints and right shin splints cases are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, bilateral pes planus, and hallux valgus. The Veteran's bilateral knee disorders began during active service, his bilateral pes planus worsened beyond its natural progression due to active service, and his hallux valgus began during active service.,Service connection is established for bilateral knee disabilities, bilateral pes planus, and hallux valgus.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder.,An effective date of August 1, 2016, for the grant of a 50 percent disability rating for bilateral pes planus is granted. The earlier effective date of October 10, 2012, but no earlier, is also granted for this condition.,The Veteran's service connection claim for a lumbar spine disorder secondary to his bilateral pes planus is remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claims for left ear hearing loss, bilateral foot disorder (to include pes planus), right ear hearing loss, back disorder (to include IVDS), heart disorder, and hypertension are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.,Specifically, additional examination is needed to address whether the Veteran's current foot disorders were aggravated by service or related to service.

The Board has dismissed all issues due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment, as he has been employed during the period on appeal.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a VA examination to determine the severity of his bilateral plantar fasciitis with pes planus prior to April 14, 2012. The examiner is asked to provide an opinion regarding the duration and functional impact of the Veteran's symptoms during this period.

The Board has determined that there was a failure to substantially comply with its remand directives for the issues of entitlement to service connection for left foot and jaw disabilities. As such, these matters are being returned to the RO for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed left knee, left foot, right foot and low back disabilities are not service-connected as they do not have a direct link to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and TDIU due to insufficient medical opinions addressing the etiology of the Veteran's foot disabilities, particularly tinea pedis with onychomycosis and peripheral neuropathy. The appeal is not about service connection but rather about the validity of the denial decisions.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II; anemia; back disability; bilateral foot disability including pes planus and right bunion. The issues of service connection for eye disability, acquired psychiatric disorder, and insomnia were also denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to issues with contact information and examination scheduling.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for right knee condition, bilateral flat feet, and right ankle condition due to insufficient medical opinions regarding direct service connection or secondary service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is granted as service connected. The issue of service connection for bilateral pes planus is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error, requiring an examination to determine if the Veteran's bilateral pes planus is related to service or his service-connected hallux valgus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and left foot disability are not service-connected. The decision is remanded for further examination to determine if the disabilities were caused or aggravated by active service.