Flat Feet (Pes Planus)

Video Transcription:

Christian McTarnaghan: Hello. Welcome to another edition of CCK Live under five. I am Christian McTarnaghan. Today, we are going to be discussing VA disability benefits for Pes Planus, otherwise known as flat feet. It is a common foot deformity in which the arch of the foot is flattened to the point where it touches or nearly touches the ground. So most feet do have a little bit of an arch, this would be a foot that does not have any arch.

Christian: So, when the ligaments and tendons from the lower leg and from the foot does not properly pull the bottom of the foot into an arch, it results in flat feet. More severe cases can have symptoms such as your foot tiring easily, there can be foot swelling, the arches in your feet can be painful, the heel of your foot can be hate painful, and it can even result in leg and back pain. And then of course when your foot is tired, when you have pain in your foot, it is going to be difficult for you to perform certain movements naturally such as standing on your toes.

Christian: Oftentimes, the veteran service can create the development of flat feet. However, there is also VA benefits that are afforded to people whose conditions that they come into service with are made worse by service or aggravated by military service. So you come into the service with a flat foot condition, your service makes it worse, you can be entitled to service connection for your flat feet. There can be a foot abnormality that has been present since birth. You could have had a torn or stretch tendon, like we are talking about on the definition. There can be inflammation or damage to the tibial tendon, that is the one that runs from your lower leg down to your ankle and to the middle of the arch of your foot. You could also had a dislocated or broken bone in your leg or foot. There are certain health conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis that can cause these types of conditions. Nerve damage such as from peripheral neuropathy and also obesity can be a cause of Pes Planus disability or it can make those disabilities worse.

Christian: When you are in the military service, there is a lot of activity that is required. So PT and a lot of frequent high impact physical training can also cause this condition. How is it rated? It is rated under thirty CFR four point seven one A Diagnostic Code fifty-two seventy-six. It is rated by whether it is pronounced severe, moderate, or mild. So if you have a pronounced Pes Planus disability, there is going to be marked pronation, inward displacement of the Achilles tendon on manipulation with spasms that are not helped by a shoe support.

Christian: So veterans with pronounced bilateral feet disability, so bilateral, both, are rated at a fifty and with pronounced unilateral, so left or right, you are going to get a thirty. A severe rating is evidenced by clear deformity of the foot, pain upon user manipulation, swelling occurring on use, and callosity, so calluses. So bilaterally severe, you are going to get a thirty. Unilaterally severe, you are going to get a twenty. And then, moderate is defined by weight bearing line over the big toe rather than distributed across the foot inward bowing of the Achilles tendon, pain on manipulation or use of the foot, you are often going to get rated at ten percent whether it is unilateral or bilateral. And then mild, where you are able to find relief through arch supports, you are going to get a non-compensable or zero percent rating.

Christian: You will still be service-connected, but you are not going to get any compensation for that specific disability. You can get secondary service connection for Pes Planus just like any other disability in the law. Pes Planus increases the risk of injury or pain to the musculoskeletal system. Pes Planus can cause a number of conditions such as a generative disease of the foot for arthritis and many more condition. If your Pes Planus causes another condition of your foot or of your body, that other condition can be entitled the secondary service connection. Thanks for tuning in and do not forget to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest news.