Citation Nr: 18147187
Decision Date: 11/02/18	Archive Date: 11/02/18

DOCKET NO. 16-28 865
DATE:	November 2, 2018
REMANDED
An increased rating in excess of 20 percent for a degenerative arthritis, cervical spine, prior to December 15, 2016, and in excess of 20 percent therefrom, is remanded.
An increased rating in excess of 10 percent for patellofemoral pain syndrome, right knee with degenerative joint disease, is remanded.
An increased rating in excess of 20 percent for impingement syndrome, right shoulder, prior to December 15, 2016, , and in excess of 30 percent therefrom, is remanded.
An increased rating for in excess of 20 percent for a degenerative arthritis, lumbar spine, prior to December 15, 2016, and in excess of 40 percent therefrom, is remanded.
 
REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran served on active duty in the Army from October 1983 to October 2003. 
This case is before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a November 2014 rating decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in Phoenix, Arizona.
1. An increased rating for a cervical spine disability is remanded.
2. An increased rating for right knee arthritis is remanded.
3. An increased rating for a right shoulder disability is remanded.
4. An increased rating for a lumbar spine disability is remanded.
As these issues are related to, the Board will address them together.  
Specifically, while the record contains contemporaneous VA examinations regarding the Veteran’s disability, the examinations do not comply with the requirements in Correia v. McDonald, 28 Vet. App. 158, 168 (2016) or Sharp v. Shulkin, 29 Vet. App. 26, 34-36 (2017).  
The matters are REMANDED for the following action:
Schedule the Veteran for an examination of the current severity of his cervical spine, right shoulder, right knee, and lumbar spine disabilities.  The examiner must test the Veteran’s active motion, passive motion, and pain with weight-bearing and without weight-bearing.  The examiner must also attempt to elicit information regarding the severity, frequency, and duration of any flare-ups, and the degree of functional loss during flare-ups and after repetition over time.  
If it is not possible to provide a specific measurement, or an opinion regarding flare-ups, symptoms, or functional impairment without speculation, the examiner must state whether the need to speculate is due to a deficiency in the state of general medical knowledge (no one could respond given medical science and the known facts), a deficiency in the record (additional facts are required), or the examiner (does not have the knowledge or training).
 
C. BOSELY
Acting Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	P. Timmerman, Associate Counsel