The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disorder, including pes planus, plantar fasciitis, hallux limitus, plantar spurs, degenerative joint disease, and metatarsal cuneiform exostosis, was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection due to lack of aggravation of pre-existing pes planus during service and no other relationship between current foot disabilities and service. For TDIU on an extraschedular basis prior to May 22, 2017, the Veteran's claim was denied as there was insufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility that his service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable.
The deciding factor: The Board found no medical opinion linking current foot disabilities to service or service-connected conditions. The Veteran's preexisting pes planus did not increase in severity during service, and other foot disabilities were not related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- pes planus, plantar fasciitis, hallux limitus, plantar spurs, degenerative joint disease (DJD), metatarsal cuneiform exostosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 12, 2022
- Citation
- 22068335
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 22068335.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, finding that the Veteran's pre-existing pes planus condition was aggravated by service. The effective date is August 15, 2025.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for athletes' foot, low back strain, and plantar fasciitis due to a lack of a VA examination prior to the August 2020 rating decision.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis with pes planus, finding that her current condition had its onset during active military service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal of an earlier effective date for service connection for bilateral pes planus and plantar fasciitis has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.
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