Citation Nr: 18159375
Decision Date: 12/19/18	Archive Date: 12/18/18

DOCKET NO. 16-23 487
DATE:	December 19, 2018
REMANDED
Entitlement to service connection for a right foot disability is remanded.
Entitlement to service connection for a left foot disability is remanded.

REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran served on active duty from April 1982 to September 1985.  
This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a September 2013 rating decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) which denied service connection for pes planus.
The Veteran testified before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge (VLJ) at a July 2018 videoconference hearing.  A transcript of the hearing has been associated with the record.
1. Entitlement to service connection for a right and left foot disability is remanded.
The Veteran claims entitlement to service connection for a bilateral foot disability.
The Veteran’s March 1982 entrance examination reflects that he had surgery on his right foot in infancy and was asymptomatic, and that his range of motion was within normal limits.  The Veteran testified that he was born with a club foot, but that he was allowed to enter active duty in spite of his foot disability.  No disability of the left foot was noted.
The Veteran testified that during service he carried heavy ammunition and that he developed pes planus.  As a result of the pes planus he was unable to march and had pain in both of his feet.  He further testified that the symptoms associated with his bilateral foot disorder have been continuous since service.  
Although there are some VA treatment records in the claims file, there are only records through October 2016.  Furthermore, the Veteran has not been afforded a VA examination to determine whether the Veteran’s foot disability was related to or aggravated by the Veteran’s service.  As it appears there are outstanding medical records and the Veteran has not been afforded a VA examination, a remand is necessary before this matter can be adjudicated.
The matter is REMANDED for the following action:
1. Ask the Veteran to complete a VA Form 21-4142 for any physicians or facilities where he sought treatment for any foot disability. Make two requests for the authorized records from any physician or facility authorized by the Veteran, unless it is clear after the first request that a second request would be futile.
2. Obtain the Veteran’s VA treatment records for the period from October 2016 to the present.
3. Schedule the Veteran for an examination by an appropriate clinician to determine the nature and etiology of any foot disability.  The examiner must opine: 
a)	whether it is at least as likely as not (50 percent probability or greater) that any diagnosed left foot disability is related to an in-service injury, event, or disease, and,  
b)	whether it is at least as likely as not (50 percent probability or greater) that the preexisting club foot of the right foot was aggravated by (worsened beyond its normal progression) by the Veteran’s active duty service.  
c)	whether it is at least as likely as not (50 percent probability or greater) that any diagnosed right foot disability, other than the club foot, is related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.
A complete rationale is required.

 
H. SEESEL
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	A. Boal, Associate Counsel