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

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for his bilateral pes planus, back disability, and bilateral leg disability (including peripheral vascular disease, intrinsic/extrinsic strain to calves, and posterior tibial tendon dysfunction), finding that there was no evidence of aggravation during service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, lumbosacral strain, and bilateral pes planus and ingrown toenails have been granted. The Board found that the Veteran had pre-existing conditions in service but did not aggravate them during service.

The Veteran's chronic vasomotor rhinitis with recurrent epistaxis is found to be related to service, and service connection for this condition is granted. The Board finds that additional development is needed for the remaining issues on appeal.

The Board found that the Veteran's right foot disability is not related to service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's right ankle disability was rated at 20 percent from November 26, 2008 to September 12, 2014. A higher rating of 30 percent is granted for this period due to ankylosis in dorsiflexion between 0 and 10 degrees. The Veteran's right foot plantar fasciitis was rated at 10 percent from November 26, 2008 to September 12, 2014. No higher rating is granted for this condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability, finding that there is no evidence of arthritis within one year of discharge and that any current right knee disability is not related to service or his service-connected left knee disability. The remaining claims are pending.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his knee and foot disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his symptoms.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right ankle and foot disabilities are not related to his active service, including an in-service ankle sprain. As such, he is not entitled to service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have or had arthritis of either hand, a left knee disorder, left foot plantar fasciitis, or hemorrhoids during the appellate period. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus has been rated at the maximum schedular rating since March 12, 2015. Prior to that date, he was granted a 30 percent rating for his condition. The VA examinations indicate severe symptoms including pain and tenderness of both feet, but no objective evidence of marked deformity or inward displacement.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diagnosed bilateral foot disability had its onset in service or is etiologically related to his active service, and thus grants service connection for a bilateral foot disability.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased ratings have been withdrawn. The issues of entitlement to an initial compensable rating for hemorrhoids, tinea pedis (athlete's foot), asthma, a disability manifested by chest pain, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and bilateral plantar fasciitis are dismissed.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus disability is rated at 50 percent effective May 4, 2009. The Board also granted entitlement to TDIU based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the left foot neuropathy was not present until multiple years after service, and is not otherwise related to service. For the knees and back, the criteria for higher ratings have not been met.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for sinusitis, left knee disability, and bilateral pes planus. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, a bilateral foot disability, and an eye disability. The reasons given were that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure in Vietnam, and the conditions are not presumed to be due to such exposure.

The Veteran's initial rating claims for lumbar spondylolisthesis and degenerative disc disease, bilateral pes planus, and left ankle disorder have been granted. The claim for a left knee disorder has been withdrawn.,Service connection was established for grade IV chondromalacia of distal left intermediate cuneiform and remote avulsion of the left anterior talofibular ligament distal fibula.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including an addendum opinion from the September 2015 DBQ examiner to address the noted deficiencies and ensure compliance with the Board's previous remand.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus with foot callosities are not manifested by symptoms that meet the criteria for a higher disability rating, and therefore, his claim is denied.