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

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis and pes planus, finding that the Veteran's symptoms began during his military service.

The Board has denied service connection for right shoulder, left shoulder, right foot, and left foot disabilities as they are not shown to be directly related to active duty or secondary to a pre-existing condition.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not service-connected as it was not shown during or within one year after his discharge from service, and the most probative evidence indicates that it is unrelated to service.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted as there is equipoise of evidence regarding whether the condition arose during service.

The Board has determined that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for residuals of pneumonia, bilateral flat feet (pes planus), low back disorder, right and left knee disorders, acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD), sleep apnea, residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI), or headaches. The Veteran's claims are remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection for depression disorder, left knee disability, left ankle disability, and left foot disability were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher rating for his depression disorder or for service connection for his left knee, left ankle, and left foot disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied as she does not currently have a disability that meets the VA definition of hearing loss.,The Veteran's claim for tinnitus was granted as her current tinnitus is related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee and bilateral foot disabilities due to insufficient evidence of a nexus between current disability and military service.

The Veteran's service-connected left calcaneal spur, status post excision and plantar facia release with plantar fasciitis, is granted a disability rating of 30 percent effective January 29, 2015. Service connection for left foot pes planus, left foot plantar fasciitis, and left foot hammer toes (2-4) as secondary to service-connected left calcaneal spur are also granted.

The Board denied service connection for a left ankle disability and a bilateral foot disability, as well as increased ratings for left knee osteoarthritis and lumbar spine degenerative disc disease due to the Veteran's failure to appear for VA examinations.

The Veteran's hypertension and diabetes mellitus, type II, are rated as they currently manifest. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for sleep apnea, arthritis, low back disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, peripheral neuropathy, right hand, left hand, left lower extremity, and right lower extremity.,The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted TDIU.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain claim is remanded due to an inadequate VA examination during flare-ups and lack of consideration for objective neurologic abnormalities.,The Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis claim is remanded as the VA examiner did not provide a clear opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not related to service.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating of hypertension is dismissed as withdrawn. The claim for service connection of the right foot disability, including as secondary to service-connected right achilles tendon rupture repair, is remanded due to inadequate examination.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's service connection claims for an eye disorder and joint disease. The Board has granted service connection for GERD, but remanded the increased rating claims for left knee disability, costochondritis, and bilateral foot disability.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral calcaneal spurs as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus. The issue of an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral pes planus is remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petitions to reopen their claims of service connection for right shoulder, neck, low back, and right foot disabilities. The new evidence received since the July 2014 decision indicates that these disabilities are related to an automobile accident during service.

The Veteran's right great toe condition and right foot condition have been granted a rating of 10 percent each, effective as of March 21, 2022.

The Veteran's right and left foot conditions, specifically the plantar flexed fifth metatarsal of the right foot and flexed second metatarsal of the left foot with painful plantar keratomas, are granted an increased rating to 10 percent each. The decision is based on moderate foot injuries.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee osteoarthritis as secondary to his service-connected right foot disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have caused him to be unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment since April 1, 2007. His TDIU claim is granted.