Citation Nr: 21012594
Decision Date: 03/04/21	Archive Date: 03/04/21

DOCKET NO. 14-32 511
DATE: March 4, 2021

REMANDED

Entitlement to service connection for a left foot heel spur is remanded.

REASONS FOR REMAND

The Veteran served on active duty from August 1965 to August 1967 and from July 1971 to August 1991.  This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal from a September 2012 rating decision of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO).

In December 2015, the Veteran testified at a hearing before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge.  A transcript of that hearing is of record. This matter was    last before the Board in November 2020, when it was remanded for further development.

The Board notes that in a January 2021 rating decision, service connection was granted for left foot plantar fasciitis; therefore, that issue is no longer before the Board.

1. Entitlement to service connection for a left foot heel spur 

The Veteran asserts that a left heel spur is secondary to his service-connected diabetes.  During the December 2015 Board hearing, he testified that he received regular diabetic foot examinations, and he was diagnosed with heel spurs around 2009.

In accordance with the November 2020 remand directives, the Veteran was afforded a new VA examination in December 2020.  The Board notes that although the examiner addressed whether the Veteran’s left heel spur was caused by service connected diabetes, she did not address whether the diabetes could have aggravated the left heel spur. In addition, now that the Veteran is service-connected for plantar fasciitis, an opinion on whether the left heel spur is caused or aggravated by that condition should also be obtained.

The matters are REMANDED for the following action:

1. Obtain an addendum opinion from an appropriate clinician regarding whether the Veteran’s left heel spur   is at least as likely as not aggravated beyond its natural progression by his service-connected diabetes, or caused or aggravated by service connected left plantar fasciitis.  If the examiner finds that the Veteran’s left heel spur was aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus or plantar fasciitis, the examiner should attempt to quantify the level of aggravation beyond the baseline level of the left heel spur.

2. If the claim remains denied, issue a supplemental statement of the case.

 

 

K. A. BANFIELD

Veterans Law Judge

Board of Veterans’ Appeals

Attorney for the Board	A. Asare, Associate Counsel

The Board’s decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.