The Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral heel spurs and there is no evidence of such condition during or within one year after service. The Board finds that the weight of the evidence demonstrates that the Veteran did not sustain a right or left heel spurs injury, disease, or event during active service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service treatment records are negative for any symptoms, manifestations, or diagnosis of bilateral heel spurs, and he denied symptoms of bilateral heel spurs as recently as May 1996. The first evidence of post-service lower extremity problems is an August 2006 Kentucky Department of Corrections treatment record showing complaints of left leg swelling, which does not indicate that the swelling was in the foot or a symptom of heel spurs.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral heel spurs
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 2, 2016
- Citation
- 1622098
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 1622098.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of bilateral heel spurs and peripheral neuropathy in the feet. The VA clinician is asked to provide an opinion on whether these conditions are causally or etiologically related to the Veteran's self-reported stress fractures and wearing ill-fitting shoes during service.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's anxiety disorder is granted a 70 percent rating, and TDIU is denied. Several service connection claims are remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for hypertension and bilateral heel spurs, but denied increased ratings for carpal tunnel release scars and remanded claims for increased ratings of various conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral heel spurs, bilateral midfoot arthritis, and right posterior tibial tendonitis due to an inadequate VA medical opinion.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.