Foot (incl. plantar fasciitis, flat feet) Board decisions

The Veteran withdrew his appeal before the Board could make a decision on any of the issues.

The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities are sufficiently severe to render him unable to maintain any form of substantially gainful employment consistent with his occupational background, and grants a TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for tension headaches. The issues of entitlement to increased evaluations for bilateral pes planus and plantar fasciitis, as well as left knee injury, are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including an examination by a podiatrist to determine the nature and etiology of his diabetic foot ulcers. The issues include service connection for diabetic ulcers, increased rating for pes planus, and total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left plantar calcaneal spur is a consequence of his service-connected left plantar fasciitis and does not result in separate symptomatology. Therefore, he is not entitled to a separate disability rating for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disability, increased rating for bilateral pes planus, and increased rating for right shoulder impingement syndrome. The appeals were remanded multiple times due to procedural issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's preexisting bilateral pes planus was aggravated by service, and therefore service connection is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain verification of his claimed exposure to herbicides during service in Puerto Rico, and to attempt to obtain inpatient treatment records from the USAF Hospital at Ramey Air Force Base in Puerto Rico for the years 1962 and 1963. Additionally, a VA examination will be scheduled to determine the etiology of his claimed bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations of his lower back condition, right shoulder arthritis, migraine headaches, and periodic limb movement disorder have been withdrawn prior to the Board issuing a decision. The claims are therefore dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted. He is now presumed sound with respect to eczema of the elbows, which he developed during active duty service. His foot disability (pes planus and hallux valgus) was noted at entry into service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the reopening of his claim for a right foot disability, as well as his claims for service connection for a right knee disability and a right hand disability.

The Veteran's current bilateral foot disabilities are related to his service, including complaints of foot pain in service. However, the Board finds that the preexisting pes planus underwent an increase in severity during his active duty service and was not clearly and unmistakably due to the normal progression of the disability.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right foot disorder and granted increased ratings for his knee disabilities, but denied reopening of other claims. The TDIU claim is also granted.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this case.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various bilateral foot disorders, including pes planus and bunions, were denied as there is no evidence of in-service aggravation or onset. The Board found that the pre-existing conditions did not worsen during service and are not otherwise related to military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination in determining whether the Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis is related to his service-connected right foot disability, and for further development of the claim.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have additional right foot disability as a result of the September 17, 2010 surgery and subsequent care. The preponderance of evidence shows no causal link between the service-connected condition and any new disability.

The Board has granted reopening of the claim for service connection for left knee disability and finds that new and material evidence has been received. The Veteran's right knee disability is not considered to have caused or aggravated his current left shoulder condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the nature and severity of his foot disorders, including neurological abnormalities, arthritis, hammertoes, and fungus. The examination will also assess whether these conditions are related to his service-connected plantar warts.

The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to service for the claimed conditions, including cervical spine degenerative joint disease, bilateral foot disability, bilateral knee injury, bilateral lower leg injury, and bilateral hand injury. The Veteran's statements regarding in-service injuries were not supported by medical evidence or treatment records.