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

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's left ankle sprain is secondary or aggravated by his service-connected conditions. Additionally, the codesheet needs to be corrected to reflect the right ankle disability.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations for her back, hips, feet, and anxiety disorders.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is granted as service-connected.,Service connection for bilateral shin splints is denied.,Service connection for plantar fascitis or a bilateral foot condition is remanded.,Service connection for hypertension is remanded.,Service connection for joint pain in the elbows is remanded.,Service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome is remanded.

The appeal of the issue of entitlement to service connection for a sleep condition is dismissed.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee, shoulder, wrist, and hip disabilities. The issues of increased evaluations and service connection are being remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and incomplete records. The Veteran will need further examinations and evidence to determine if her conditions are related to her military service.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection has been denied. The Veteran is not entitled to an initial evaluation in excess of 20 percent for status post excision left great toenail with residual deformed nail bed, or a compensable initial evaluation for scar of the left great toe.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection for left foot hammer toes and right foot hammer toes have been denied. The Board found no current diagnosis of these conditions and insufficient evidence to establish their relationship to service.,Regarding bilateral pes planus (flatfeet) and right great toenail removal, the appeal is remanded as additional medical guidance is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been remanded by the Board. The effective date of service connection for bilateral foot disabilities is set at May 1, 2017. The rating for bilateral pes planus has been granted from May 1, 2017 to December 10, 2021 and since then remains denied. A separate rating evaluation of 10 percent for bilateral plantar fasciitis is granted effective February 7, 2021. The Veteran's claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disability, arthritis of the left knee, arthritis of the right knee, low back condition, and TDIU are also remanded.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the VA definition of hearing loss or tinnitus.,For his left knee, right knee, and bilateral foot disabilities, the Board has found that remand is necessary to obtain additional medical opinions addressing whether these conditions are related to service. The Veteran's claim for obstructive sleep apnea remains pending as it is inextricably intertwined with the issues of service connection for the knees.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial disability ratings for various conditions are being remanded due to the need to obtain outstanding treatment records from TRICARE.

Service connection for tinnitus is granted. Service connection for right and left elbow disorders, right and left knee disorders, bilateral hearing loss, and plantar fasciitis are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral plantar fasciitis, arthralgia of the upper left ankle joint, and a left knee disorder have been dismissed as they were not properly appealed to the Board.,These issues were previously denied in final rating decisions without appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than March 15, 2018 for a 50 percent disability rating for bilateral plantar fasciitis. The evidence did not show that in the year prior to March 15, 2018, the Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis more nearly approximated the level of severity required for a 50 percent rating.

The appeal for service connection of bilateral pes planus is granted. The appeal for service connection of a right knee condition is remanded.

The Veteran's right foot pes planus rating was restored, and he received a 30 percent rating for bilateral pes planus from October 16, 2019. The Veteran also received service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and his chronic lumbosacral strain was rated higher than initially granted.

The Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for left and right knee disabilities are dismissed because service connection has been granted. The claims for left wrist, low back, and left foot disabilities remain denied.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disorder, including plantar fasciitis and pes planus. The AOJ will obtain the Veteran's complete service treatment records from his period of active-duty service, verify any periods of ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA, and provide an opinion on the etiology of any such disorders.

The Veteran's service connection claim for allergic rhinitis is granted, effective August 10, 2022, under the PACT Act. Service connection for bilateral pes planus and a kidney disorder are denied.

The Veteran's skin cancer is granted service connection, while the bilateral foot disability remains denied due to lack of a medical nexus.