Citation Nr: 18149149
Decision Date: 11/08/18	Archive Date: 11/08/18

DOCKET NO. 17-37 727
DATE:	November 8, 2018
REMANDED
Entitlement to service connection for a left knee disorder with arthritis is remanded.
Entitlement to service connection for a right knee disorder with arthritis is remanded.
Entitlement to service connection for a bilateral eye disorder is remanded.
Entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded.
REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran served on active duty from October 1963 to October 1965.  These matters are before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal of a January 2016 rating decision.
1. Entitlement to service connection for a left knee disorder with arthritis is remanded.
2. Entitlement to service connection for a right knee disorder with arthritis is remanded.
The Board cannot make a fully-informed decision on these issues, as no VA examiner has opined whether his present left and right knee disorders, to include arthritis, were etiologically related to his asserted in-service knee injuries.
3. Entitlement to service connection for a bilateral eye disorder is remanded.
4. Entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded.
Updated VA treatment records, from Richmond VAMC, to include all associated facilities, dated since January 2016, as well as from Richmond Vet Center dated since October 2014, should be obtained and associated with the electronic claims file.  38 U.S.C. § 5103A(c) (2012); 38 C.F.R. § 3.159(c)(2); see also Bell v. Derwinski, 2 Vet. App. 611, 613 (1992). 
The matters are REMANDED for the following actions:
1.  Obtain the Veteran’s updated VA treatment records, from Richmond VAMC, to include all associated outpatient clinics, dated since January 2016, and associate these records with the electronic claims file.  
2.  Ask the Veteran to complete a VA Form 21-4142 for the Vet Center in Richmond.  After authorization is received, obtain any treatment records for the period from October 2014 to the present.  Document all requests for information as well as all responses in the claims file.
3.  Schedule the Veteran for an examination by an appropriate clinician to determine the nature and etiology of any left and right knee disorder, to include arthritis.  The examiner must opine whether any left or right knee disorder is at least as likely as not (50 percent or greater probability) related to an in-service injury, event, or disease, including the Veteran’s asserted in-service knee injuries or assigned duties as a cook.  
The examiner should also opine as to whether left or right knee arthritis at least as likely as not (1) began during active service or (2) was manifested within one year after discharge from service in October 1965.
4.  After completing the above actions, and any other necessary development, the claims on appeal must be re-adjudicated, taking into consideration all relevant evidence associated with the evidence of record since the July 2017 statement of the case.  If any benefit on appeal remains denied, a supplemental statement of the case must be provided to the Veteran and his representative.  After the Veteran has had an adequate opportunity to respond, the appeal must be returned to the Board for appellate review.

 
MICHAEL MARTIN
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	J. D. Deane, Counsel