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

The Veteran's persistent depressive disorder was granted service connection as it is presumed to have been incurred during his active duty. The Board also found that the Veteran had other disabilities, including sleep apnea and recurrent rashes, which are not directly related to his service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for right knee condition and bilateral pes planus (claimed as bilateral foot condition) due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions, which he contends are secondary to his service-connected ankle osteoarthritis.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions, including right foot cold weather injury, left foot cold weather injury, right hand cold weather injury, left hand cold weather injury, bilateral pes planus, bilateral plantar fasciitis, acquired psychiatric disorder, headache disorder, and low back disorder. The evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current disability meeting the definition of a VA compensation disability.,The Veteran's foot condition, diagnosed as left foot plantar wart, and back condition are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.,The Veteran's migraines (claimed as secondary to TBI) and cysts are also remanded for further evaluation.,No service connection is granted for any of the conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and a bilateral foot condition due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for allergic rhinitis, lumbar spine disability, lumbar neuritis L5-S1, left ankle disability, sinusitis, left hip disability, and left foot disability are remanded due to insufficient evidence of service connection. A VA TERA examination is required.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right foot, bilateral knee, and lumbar spine disabilities due to inadequate opinions from previous VA examiners. Additional development is needed with an addendum opinion from a different examiner.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral pes planus, an acquired psychiatric disorder, poor body alignment, left knee pain, a back disorder (claimed as back pain), and a right knee disorder (claimed as right knee pain) has been granted. The effective date for the award of service connection for bilateral pes planus is July 16, 2012.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to secure an adequate etiology opinion regarding the claimed conditions, specifically addressing whether they are caused or aggravated by service-connected disabilities.

The appeal as to an increased rating for PTSD is dismissed. The issue of service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are considered to be so severe that they prevent him from obtaining or maintaining a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus and associated arthritis are currently rated at 10 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence.

The Veteran's right foot disability is currently rated as noncompensable prior to May 31, 2022 and in excess of 10 percent thereafter. The Veteran's sleep apnea has been granted secondary to his service-connected psychiatric disorder.,Service connection for joint pain (claimed as rheumatoid arthritis) and shin splints is remanded due to conflicting opinions.

The Veteran's left great toe osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis, and calcaneal bursitis are service-connected. A 10 percent rating is granted for the entire appeal period.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to incomplete review under the modernized review system.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for her service-connected right foot disability is being remanded due to issues with scheduling an examination.

The Veteran's appeal for higher disability ratings for her left foot injury was dismissed due to the withdrawal of her appeal by her representative.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connection is established due to in-service noise exposure.,The Veteran's TBI, migraine headache disorder, and left foot disability are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 50 percent for bilateral pes planus with osteoarthritic changes is dismissed. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression), and diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between his service-connected right foot plantar wart and other claimed conditions.