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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability began during his second period of active service and is related to service. The issue of bilateral pes planus was not addressed in this decision as it pertains to a different time frame.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence on file for VA to make a decision on the claims. The appellant should be afforded examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

Pseudofolliculitis barbae was granted service connection as it is presumed to have been incurred in service due to frequent shaving during active duty.,Corneal abrasion of the right eye does not meet criteria for service connection. No current disability related to this condition has been demonstrated.,Chronic left epididymitis, a residual of an in-service vasectomy, is not shown and no etiological link was found between the condition and service.,Right hand condition is not shown during or within one year of service and no current disability related to service-connected conditions has been demonstrated. No evidence supports a right hand condition being incurred in service.,Left foot sprain is not shown during or within one year of service and no current left foot disability, including bunions or plantar warts, has been demonstrated.,Diabetes mellitus was not shown during or within one year of service. No evidence supports a link between diabetes mellitus and service-connected hypertension.,Bunion of the left foot is not shown during or within one year of service and no current disability related to service-connected conditions has been demonstrated. No evidence supports a bunion condition being incurred in service.,Plantar warts of the left foot are not shown during or within one year of service and no current disability related to service-connected conditions has been demonstrated. No evidence supports plantar warts being incurred in service.,Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is not shown during or within one year of service and no etiological link was found between the condition and service.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, left knee disability, cardiovascular condition, neck disability, lumbar spine disability, right knee disability, and left foot disability have been reopened. Claims for scars of the face and head and residuals of a right thumb and hand injury were not reopened.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral pes planus. The Veteran's pre-existing bilateral pes planus is found to have been aggravated by his active duty service.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral foot disability, but the appeal has been remanded due to incomplete records and further development is needed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to address his claims of service connection for tinnitus and a bilateral foot disorder. The Board will consider these findings in their subsequent decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of an adequate statement of reasons or bases for its decision, specifically failing to address whether the Veteran's testimony offered at his hearing indicated a material change in his disability triggering the necessity for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable initial rating for residuals of laceration of the left index finger was denied, as his disability did not meet the criteria for any higher evaluation. The claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disorder was also denied.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus was rated at 10 percent prior to July 28, 2010 and upgraded to 30 percent thereafter.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pes planus preexisted service and was not aggravated by service, thus denying the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss have been denied. The claim for service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis remains pending.,Service connection was not granted as the Veteran does not have a current psychiatric disability, and his personality disorder is not considered a disease or injury under VA law.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral pes planus, and status post bunionectomy with surgical correction of hammertoes in both feet were denied as the evidence did not show that his service-connected disabilities warranted a rating higher than 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of kidney stones, and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining relevant medical records and conducting examinations to assess the severity of his plantar fasciitis and allergic rhinitis.

The Board found that the Veteran's current diagnosed bilateral foot condition is less likely related to his active service and more likely due to aging. Therefore, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic lumbar strain is not found to have caused or aggravated any of his claimed bilateral hip, knee, ankle, or foot disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining an opinion on the etiology of his left foot disability and whether it was caused or aggravated by his service-connected left knee internal derangement with traumatic DJD.

The Board has remanded the case for further clarification of a VA examiner's opinion regarding whether the Veteran's preexisting right foot condition was aggravated by service. The case will be returned to the RO/AMC for re-adjudication.

The Board has dismissed the appeal of entitlement to service connection for a foot disability. The claim of service connection for painful menstrual cramps, also claimed as a total abdominal hysterectomy, is reopened and granted. Service connection is established for residuals of a total abdominal hysterectomy.