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

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for further development, including scheduling a hearing on his claims.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of a medial plantar ligament strain of the right foot involving the first metatarsal joint with secondary right heel spurs have been productive of no more than a moderate foot disability throughout this appeal.

The Board found that the Veteran's current foot disabilities, including his congenital Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, were not directly incurred in service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, internal hemorrhoids, varicose veins of the lower extremities, eczema, left foot cold weather injury residuals, right foot plantar fasciitis, and right foot calcaneal fracture. The reasons provided are that there is no current evidence linking these conditions to service or any other basis for service connection.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, low back disorder, bilateral foot disability, and a psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD) are all granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board found that new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral pes planus, but concluded that the Veteran's current diagnosis of pes planus did not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to a lack of compliance with previous directives. The appellant's claim will be reviewed again after the requested development is completed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pes planus began during service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining SSA records.

The Veteran's pre-existing bilateral foot disabilities were aggravated by active military service, resulting in current symptoms and disability.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus with callosities and hyperkeratosis punctate plantaris was rated at 30 percent prior to August 19, 2009. Starting on August 19, 2009, the disability was reevaluated as 'obvious' with multiple skin lesions causing extreme tenderness and reduced standing endurance to approximately 10 minutes. The Veteran is now rated at 50 percent for this period.

The Board has granted service connection for the residuals of a right inguinal hernia, finding that the injury likely occurred during INACDUTRA. The claims for bilateral pes planus and ankle disorders are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral pes planus and residuals of a right hand injury are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing an examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for sarcoidosis of the skin with complaints of joint pain, bilateral heel spurs with arthritis of the tarsal bone, and hypertension were denied as there is no evidence showing that any condition requires constant or near-constant systemic therapy such as corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive drugs during the past 12-month period. The rating schedule does not provide a separate rating for pain.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral flat foot with plantar fasciitis, metatarsalgia, and heel spurs was granted effective December 9, 2009. Prior to that date, the disability had been rated as noncompensable.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a neck disorder was not granted.,For gastroesophageal reflux disease, the Veteran received a staged 10 percent evaluation beginning August 23, 2008. The Board found that prior to this date, he did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (bilateral pes planus, bilateral tinea pedis, and major depressive disorder with features of dysthymic disorder) do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment. Therefore, his claim for a TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's left foot disability, including calcaneal spurs, pes planus, plantar fasciitis, metatarsalgia and second toe hammertoe, has been rated as 20 percent disabling since August 22, 2003. The effective date for this rating is not specified in the decision.

The Board found that the Veteran's currently present bilateral flat feet were not incurred in or aggravated by active service.