Secondary Condition Claim · VASRD 5269
Plantar Fasciitis Secondary to Flatfoot, Acquired
A condition caused or aggravated by an already service-connected disability can be granted its own service connection as a secondary condition under 38 CFR § 3.310. Here's how that works for Plantar Fasciitis when it develops after Flatfoot, Acquired.
Why Plantar Fasciitis Is Linked to Flatfoot, Acquired
Arch strain
Primary condition · VASRD 5276
Flatfoot, Acquired
Fallen arches causing foot pain, imbalance, and difficulty walking.
Secondary condition · VASRD 5269
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is inflammation and degeneration of the plantar fascia, the thick band running from the heel to the toes, producing the classic sharp heel pain on the first steps of the morning. Since February 7, 2021 it has had its own diagnostic code — DC 5269 — instead of being rated by analogy to tenosynovitis, and the percentage turns on whether one foot or both are affected and on whether treatment has failed.
Plantar Fasciitis VA Rating Tiers
The VA rates Plantar Fasciitis the same way whether it's claimed directly or as secondary to Flatfoot, Acquired — severity of Plantar Fasciitis itself determines the percentage.
Example combined rating
20% Flatfoot, Acquired + 10% Plantar Fasciitis = 28%
The VA combines ratings with Table I of 38 CFR 4.25, not simple addition — 20% and 10% combine to 28%, not 30%. These figures are illustrative; your actual rating for each condition depends on your own evaluation.
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Evidence for a Plantar Fasciitis Secondary Claim
- •A treatment record that names every non-surgical measure tried — orthotics, night splint, stretching programme, physical therapy, injections — and states in each case whether it gave relief, because the 20 and 30 percent criteria are written as treatment failure, not as severity.
- •Operative reports for any plantar fascia release or other surgery, and the post-operative outcome, since both non-surgical AND surgical treatment must have failed for the 20 or 30 percent level.
- •Where surgery was recommended but declined by the surgeon, a note saying the veteran is not a surgical candidate — Note (2) makes that the equivalent of surgical failure.
- •Documentation of whether one foot or both are involved, which is the only difference between the 20 and 30 percent criteria.
- •A podiatrist's diagnosis, with ultrasound or MRI showing plantar fascia thickening, and service records of the running, road-marching, load-carrying or prolonged standing that caused it.
Common questions about Plantar Fasciitis secondary to Flatfoot, Acquired
- Can Plantar Fasciitis be service-connected as secondary to Flatfoot, Acquired?
- Yes. Under 38 CFR § 3.310, a condition that is caused or aggravated by an already service-connected disability can be granted secondary service connection. Arch strain You'll need a current Plantar Fasciitis diagnosis and a medical nexus opinion linking it to your service-connected Flatfoot, Acquired — the same standa…
- What VA rating can I get for Plantar Fasciitis as a secondary condition?
- Plantar Fasciitis is rated under VASRD diagnostic code 5269 using the same criteria whether it's a direct or secondary claim: possible ratings are 30%, 20%, 10%. The rating depends on the severity of Plantar Fasciitis itself, not on the severity of Flatfoot, Acquired.
- How does a secondary Plantar Fasciitis claim affect my combined VA rating?
- The VA doesn't add ratings together. Using the official combined-ratings formula (38 CFR 4.25): a 20% rating for Flatfoot, Acquired combined with a 10% rating for Plantar Fasciitis (example figures) produces a combined rating of 28%, not 30%. Approving Plantar Fasciitis as secondary still typically raises your overall…
- What evidence do I need to service-connect Plantar Fasciitis as secondary to Flatfoot, Acquired?
- Strong evidence for the underlying Plantar Fasciitis diagnosis includes: A treatment record that names every non-surgical measure tried — orthotics, night splint, stretching programme, physical therapy, injections — and states in each case whether it gave relief, because the 20 and 30 percent criteria are written as t…
Primary condition
Full Flatfoot, Acquired guide
Secondary condition
Full Plantar Fasciitis guide
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