Foot (incl. plantar fasciitis, flat feet) decisions — 2023

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the remaining issues on appeal, including obtaining service treatment and personnel records from the Veteran's National Guard service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for plantar fasciitis, which was secondary to her service-connected low back injury, has been dismissed as she opted into the modernized review system (AMA).

The Veteran's bilateral pes cavus and hammertoe are currently rated as 10 percent disabling, but the evidence does not support a higher rating.,The Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis with bilateral traumatic changes of first metatarsophalangeal joint is currently rated as 50 percent disabling, which is the highest schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 5276.

The Veteran's service connection claim for hearing loss is denied. The Board has also remanded the issues of increased ratings for back, left knee, left foot, and right foot disabilities due to inadequate examination findings.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for bilateral flat feet due to new and relevant evidence submitted since the prior March 2017 rating decision. The Veteran's lay statements of gradual onset of foot pain during service are considered, but a VA addendum medical opinion is needed to address whether the condition increased in severity during service.

The Veteran's back disorder is not found to be secondary to his service-connected left knee disability.,There is no current diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, and the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of this condition.

The Veteran's petition to readjudicate her claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disability is granted due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The appeal for a higher rating for PTSD remains remanded, as well as the appeal for service connection for a bilateral foot disability.

Your claims for service connection have been dismissed as the appeals were untimely filed.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the aggravation of pes planus and other current foot conditions during service. The Veteran's claim for service connection is pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,Service connection for a respiratory disability is also denied due to lack of evidence of a current disability.

The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for the Veteran's claimed low back, left hip, left leg, left foot, and left toe disabilities as they were not caused by carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault on the part of VA.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and remanded the right foot disability claim.

The appeals seeking increased ratings for right and left knee degenerative joint disease and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine have been dismissed. The issues of service connection for a left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, right hand/wrist disability, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, and foot disability (including pes planus and plantar fasciitis) are remanded.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with osteoarthritis, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with osteoarthritis, right shoulder impingement syndrome, left shoulder impingement syndrome, bilateral pes planus, and lumbar spine DDD are granted.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy is remanded.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including sinusitis, bronchitis, asthma, bilateral pes planus, right ankle condition, left ankle condition, right leg condition, and left leg condition. The decision also noted that the Veteran's sleep apnea was not incurred in or caused by his active service.

The Board has granted service connection for a left foot condition including recurring calluses, plantar fasciitis, and pes planus as well as pes planus of the right foot on a secondary basis due to the Veteran's previously service-connected fractured left ankle with calcaneal spur and back disability.

The appeal for service connection for hypertension is dismissed. The Veteran's bilateral eye condition, including keratoconus and glaucoma, is granted. The claim for an earlier effective date for the PTSD rating is denied as a matter of law. The claims for arthritis of the cervical spine and bilateral pes planus are remanded.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of bilateral foot disability, tinnitus, and chronic lumbar spine pain as they were not properly docketed in the modernized appeal system.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The issues of PTSD, depression, and plantar fasciitis with degenerative arthritis and plantar calcaneal spur, left foot are all being reviewed.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis and migraine headaches, with the latter being secondary to PTSD. The Veteran's current conditions are found to be related to his military service.