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

The appeal for service connection for left and right knee disabilities is dismissed.,The appeal for service connection for tinnitus is granted.,The appeal for service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis and thoracolumbar spine disability (including lumbosacral and thoracolumbar strain with radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities) is remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral foot, knee, and lumbar spine disabilities due to new evidence received since previous denials. Further development is needed.

The appellant withdrew his appeals for various disability ratings and effective dates, resulting in the dismissal of all claims.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of various conditions due to the untimeliness and inapplicability of the Veteran's Notice of Disagreement with regard to a May 2016 rating decision.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus and plantar fasciitis with degenerative arthritis, and bilateral knee disabilities, prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation as of April 29, 2023. The Board finds that he is entitled to a TDIU due to the severity of his symptoms.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral flatfoot condition is related to his active service and grants service connection for this condition.

Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left foot disability, right foot disability, back disability, and heart condition. Service connection for acquired psychiatric disability remains pending as the evidence is not sufficient to establish a direct service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed. The appeals for right hand, left shoulder, right knee, and bilateral plantar fasciitis disabilities have all been denied. The appeal for low back and left knee disabilities is remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for flat feet, hammer toes, plantar fasciitis, arthritis, and hallux valgus, finding that there was no evidence of a pre-existing condition aggravated by military service. The Board also found that the current disabilities were not related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right foot disability is denied as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease that caused the current condition.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are also denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have these conditions during service, nor can they be presumed to have developed within one year after separation from service.,The Veteran's claims for tinnitus were denied as there is no credible evidence of its onset in service or a relationship to noise exposure.

The Veteran's flat feet were granted service connection. Service connection was denied for left upper extremity neuritis, right upper extremity neuritis, and bilateral lower extremity neuritis.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis, finding that it began during his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, and will consider evidence prior to February 7, 2021, under DC 5276 for flatfoot (pes planus), and from February 7, 2021, under either DC 5276 or DC 5269 for plantar fasciitis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right foot disability is remanded due to the need for an adequate medical opinion regarding the relationship between his current conditions and service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has dismissed the claims for service connection for left foot plantar fasciitis, right foot plantar fasciitis, sleep apnea, sciatic radicular pain of the right lower extremity, and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine as they have been withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and opinion regarding service connection for asthma and left shoulder condition. Service connection is granted for left foot pes planus.

The Veteran's bilateral foot condition and asthma have been granted service connection as they are found to be related to her military service.

New and relevant evidence has been received to reconsider the claims for bilateral pes planus, hypertension, PTSD, and right knee disability.,The Veteran's right knee disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus is rated at 50 percent, the highest available rating under Diagnostic Code 5276. The decision grants this increased rating based on pronounced symptoms including extreme tenderness of plantar surfaces and swelling.