The Veteran's bilateral hallux valgus and chronic bilateral ankle strain were not incurred in or related to service. The Board found that the conditions are less likely than not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected lumbar spine traumatic arthritis.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence from randomized clinical studies supporting a relationship between mild changes in range of motion without bony changes and the Veteran's ankle conditions, nor does there exist strong evidence linking bunions to excessive pronation and midfoot changes.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hallux Valgus, Chronic Bilateral Ankle Strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 11, 2016
- Citation
- 1600991
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1600991.
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Related decisions
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral pes planus, left foot toes, right foot toes, left knee condition, right knee condition, and back condition due to potential errors in decision-making process.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for right foot pes planus (flatfoot) has been denied. The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's symptoms more closely approximate severe bilateral flatfeet.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left heel disabilities, as well as hallux valgus of the right and left feet, are denied. The Board found that the current 30 percent rating for right and left heel residuals with arthritis is appropriate based on moderate to severe symptoms without actual loss of use.,The Veteran's claims for compensable ratings for bilateral hallux valgus were also denied as there was no evidence of a condition equivalent to amputation or surgery.
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