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

The veteran's service-connected disability, which includes status post surgery right foot with triple arthrodesis and bilateral pes planus, is shown to be productive of an overall level of impairment that more nearly approximates pronounced foot disablement. As such, the RO granted a 50 percent rating for this condition.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for flat feet and PTSD, finding that new evidence submitted since the prior denial is not material. The claim for a back disorder was also denied as there was no competent medical evidence linking the current condition to service.

The veteran's bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis is currently rated at 10 percent disabling, and the Board finds no basis for assignment of a higher disability rating.

The veteran's left arm pain and numbness, including thoracic outlet syndrome and ulnar neuritis, as well as his cervical spine condition, were incurred during active service. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the appellant's claims for service connection for pes planus and hypertension. The appellant served on active duty from March 1968 to March 1970, and testified that he first experienced foot problems during his military service. Post-service medical records confirm a diagnosis of pes planus and ongoing hypertension.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral pes planus with metatarsalgia and fungus infection of the feet, as well as his claim for TDIU. The current evaluations are deemed appropriate.

The veteran's low back pain syndrome is granted with a 40 percent evaluation effective March 2, 2000. Bilateral pes planus and right long finger metacarpophalangeal joint disability are each granted with noncompensable evaluations.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran's bilateral pes planus is service-connected, based on evidence showing it first manifested during his active duty.

The Board determined that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis and pes planus of the right foot, as his current condition is not shown to be related to service.

The Board's October 1983 decision is vacated as it failed to address the issue of service connection for callouses of the feet, which had been procedurally developed. The issues of pes planus and residuals of a foot injury were not addressed due to jurisdictional barriers.

The veteran's claim of entitlement to an increased rating for temporomandibular joint syndrome is granted, with a rating of 10 percent. The claims for bilateral knee condition and pes planus are addressed in the remand attached to this decision.

The veteran's claim of entitlement to an increased rating for temporomandibular joint syndrome is granted, with a rating of 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims due to incomplete medical records and need for further examinations.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for neck, back, and shoulder injuries as well as flat feet, chondromalacia of the right knee, and abrasion of the left knee. The decision also found that the veteran had no dental injury during service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a left foot disability, claiming it as a residual of cold injury sustained during service. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical records and conduct an examination.

The Board found that the veteran's current left foot disorders are not related to his active military service, including lacerations he sustained during a 1968 jeep accident in Vietnam. The examiner concluded it was more likely than not unrelated to the scars and degenerative changes.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral plantar faciitis is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting a VA examination.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the nature and extent of the appellant's bilateral foot disability, as well as whether it was caused or aggravated by service. The case is being remanded for this purpose.

The veteran's bilateral pes planus is not productive of more than moderate impairment, and therefore does not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent.