Foot (incl. plantar fasciitis, flat feet) decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for a left foot disability and a right foot disability, but remanded the issue of service connection for a right ankle disability.

The Board granted restoration of a 50 percent evaluation for bilateral pes planus and denied increased ratings for left knee arthritis, right knee strain, varicocele, lumbosacral strain and intervertebral disc syndrome, and right lower extremity radiculopathy. Erectile dysfunction was granted service connection.

The Board granted an effective date of October 17, 2017 for the award of service connection for left elbow limitation of flexion and left cubital tunnel syndrome (CTS), but denied earlier effective dates for other conditions.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for stress incontinence, vaginitis, bilateral plantar fasciitis, lumbosacral strain with mild levoscoliosis, anxiety disorder with TBI, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with patellar dislocation, and bilateral hearing loss. The claims for increased ratings were also dismissed. The Board remanded several other claims for further development.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, migraine headaches, a back condition, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and bilateral plantar fasciitis as the evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's active duty service.

The Board granted a 10-percent rating for the Veteran's plantar wart right foot and service connection for tinnitus, while remanding several other claims for further development.

The character of the appellant's discharge from active military service is not a bar to the receipt of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits, and service connection was granted for bilateral pes planus and bilateral tinnitus. However, service connection was denied for acquired psychiatric disorder, traumatic brain injury (TBI), heel spurs condition, right knee, left knee, lower lumbar back, hypertension, hemorrhoids, and sleep apnea.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions due to a failure to provide VA examinations after rescheduling attempts.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 30 percent for bilateral plantar fasciitis, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Board denied service connection for lumbosacral strain and remanded the claim for bilateral plantar fasciitis due to insufficient evidence.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and a gastrointestinal disability, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left knee disability, and dermatitis. The Board also granted a rating of 20 percent for the lumbar spine disability.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss but granted it based on the evidence of record. The claims for a bilateral foot disability and left knee disability were remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, an effective date prior to March 30, 2018, for the award of service connection for tinnitus, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus. The Board also denied a compensable rating prior September 13, 2023, and a rating in excess of 10 percent on and after September 13, 2023, for maxillary sinusitis.

The Board finds that new and relevant evidence has been received, and remands the claims for service connection for residuals of TBI, hypogonadism, IBS, and bilateral pes planus to be readjudicated on the merits.

The Board denied service connection for depression, peptic ulcer, bilateral hearing loss, vertigo, bilateral ankle condition, bilateral elbow condition, foot condition, bilateral hip condition, bilateral knee condition, and bilateral wrist condition as the persuasive weight of the evidence indicated these conditions were not etiologically related to active service.

The Board remands the Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings and an earlier effective date, as well as a TDIU claim, due to outstanding VA treatment records and the need for new examinations.

The Board denied the veteran's petitions to readjudicate claims for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, PTSD, shin splints, and tinnitus due to a lack of new and relevant evidence.

The Board denied service connection for plantar fasciitis, bilateral pes planus, a right hip disorder, a left hip disorder, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and erectile dysfunction.

The Board granted higher ratings for the Veteran's service-connected neck, right and left lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, right and left upper extremity radiculopathy, left hip (extension, flexion, abduction), right hip (extension, flexion, abduction), left knee (flexion), right knee (flexion), and left ankle (dorsiflexion, plantar flexion) disabilities, but denied higher ratings for the Veteran's service-connected low back disability.

The Board granted a 70 percent rating for the service-connected unspecified depressive disorder with insomnia and denied increased ratings for other conditions, remanding several claims for further development.