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

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence being submitted and a need for further examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations were denied. The Board found no evidence of ankylosis or malunion of the tibia and fibula, which would warrant higher ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral flat feet are rated at 10 percent since October 4, 2006. The Board denied service connection for right and left ankle disorders as they were not shown to be related to his active military duty or any service-connected disability.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for reopening a claim of service connection for bilateral foot disability and seeking service connection for back disability, right ankle disability, and right thumb fracture. The Board has dismissed these matters as the appellant has withdrawn them.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including COPD and bilateral pes planus, do not render him unemployable as his education and occupational experience allow for substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and a hearing before a decision review officer at the RO.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, with depression, has been granted. The remaining issues on appeal are addressed in the Remand portion of this decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral pes planus, with pronounced symptoms and not improved by orthopedic shoes or appliances, warrants a 50 percent evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for pes planus of the left foot with callosities was denied. The claims to reopen for right foot pes planus and right foot callosities were also denied, but new evidence was submitted that raised a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims. Obstructive sleep apnea was not shown to be related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to afford him an updated VA podiatry examination for his bilateral foot disability and to adjudicate the issue of TDIU as raised by the record.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including an opportunity to undergo a VA examination.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of bilateral pes planus and granted it, finding that her pre-existing pes planus was aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's pes planus was aggravated by service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The claims of hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's history of right ankle sprain is due to a disease or injury incurred in active service. Service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's pre-existing bilateral pes planus was not aggravated by service and denied his claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disability. The claims for sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and respiratory disorder (hay fever and sleep apnea) are remanded due to insufficient evidence of in-service onset or continuity of symptoms.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current right foot plantar fibroma is likely as not due to disease or injury incurred during his active service, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed bilateral kidney disability and bilateral foot disability. The claims are not currently decided on service connection.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right foot, left shoulder, and right shoulder disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current foot disabilities are related to her military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus does not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent, as there is no evidence of severe disability such as marked deformity or swelling. The current 10 percent rating adequately reflects the Veteran's symptoms and functional impairment.