Filing for secondary conditions

Use your local VA to get the info in the record before anything else. Go to your PCP and point out that the condition you have (feet/ortho) has made your knees/hips and back/lumbar worse. Hopefully, they x-ray and provide a diagnosis. The C&P exam will have all of this on hand. It is very common to get SC for arthritis of the knees and hips and lumbar spine from injuries that affect your gait (how you walk) because it adds abnormal stress on these joints.  

I have a knee/ankle/foot orthosis (KAFO) and did this same claim for knee/hip pain (lumbar was already SC). It went through without a hitch, which is the last thing I needed to push from 90 to above 95 to qualify at 100% P&T.

 

Thank you for replying and sharing your information.  I will start the process emediately.

Do you have diagnosed conditions for knees, back and ankle? 

I was service connected for my right ankle and bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis. I made secondary claims for my back, knees and left ankle. It took years of denials but I was finally able get everything granted with the help of my orthopedic surgeon. As others have said, you need a nexus letter connecting these conditions - preferably from an orthopedic surgeon.  

I was also granted 10% for radiculopathy in each leg without even claiming this because it was connected to my back issues. 

You might need an IMO/IME ( independent Medical Opinion and/or Exam) but you might not----

Hard to say whether a C & P exam for this will go well.

The IMO/IME doctor should give a full rationale as to the medical nexus of what you are claiming , as due  to your SC conditions, if you need that- and I hope not .

It is a well known medical fact that bilateral pes planus and plantar fasciitis can cause the secondary conditions you have.

I have bilateral pes planus myself but I am a civilian. My podiatrist is also a surgeon.

13 hours ago, deedub75 said:

Do you have diagnosed conditions for knees, back and ankle? 

I was service connected for my right ankle and bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis. I made secondary claims for my back, knees and left ankle. It took years of denials but I was finally able get everything granted with the help of my orthopedic surgeon. As others have said, you need a nexus letter connecting these conditions - preferably from an orthopedic surgeon.  

I was also granted 10% for radiculopathy in each leg without even claiming this because it was connected to my back issues. 

Radiculopathy is a nerve condition, not a bone or muscle condition, so they are not rated separately. It is not pyramiding because they are not they same systems.

Problems with the lumbar spine that alter the way you walk (gait) changes the physic's that impact your hip, knee, and foot joints. The same thing goes with a foot or knee condition that alters your gait. The lumbar, hips, knees, and feet all have a natural balance, so when one part is affected, it inevitably will alter the rest of the system. Max rating for loss of leg cannot be exceeded when you combine all of the conditions for each leg (excl. the lumbar), but most vets do not have such a severe condition. The initial problem comes from pain from arthritis. This is where the abnormal stress on the joints stimulate the body to try to grow new bone (osteophytes) to protect the joint, which is osteoarthritis. Pain is ratable at 10%, and as it gets worse, this can increase.
You may try to tuff it out, but if this affects you or the work that you do, it should be compensated for. When they were examining me, the x-rays inadvertently discovered I had patellofemoral pain syndrome (which explain my heavy limp of 5 years), and that was a 30% bump I never anticipated.