Citation Nr: 18153576 Decision Date: 11/29/18 Archive Date: 11/28/18 DOCKET NO. 13-28 595 DATE: November 29, 2018 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for a foot disability, to include resulting from residuals of a cold injury, to include frostbite, tinea pedis, and plantar fasciitis, is remanded. Entitlement to service connection for medial epicondylitis, right (claimed as right elbow traumatic bursitis), is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from May 1980 to May 1983. A hearing was held before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge (VLJ) in April 2017 via video conference. A transcript of the hearing is of record. This matter was previously before the Board in August 2017, at which time it was remanded for further development. At the time of the prior remand, the issue of entitlement to service connection for a lower back condition, also claimed as degenerative disc disease (DDD), was before the Board. Subsequent to the remand, service connection for this issue was granted by the RO in a September 2018 rating decision. As this constitutes a complete grant of the benefit sought, this issue is no longer before the Board. 1. Entitlement to service connection for a foot disability, to include resulting from residuals of a cold injury, to include frostbite, tinea pedis, and plantar fasciitis, is remanded. 2. Entitlement to service connection for medial epicondylitis, right (claimed as right elbow traumatic bursitis), is remanded. The Board finds that further development is needed prior to final adjudication of the issues on appeal. As discussed above, this matter was remanded in August 2017. The Board ordered new examinations and opinions, and these were provided in November 2017. However, the Board finds that the following requests were not addressed, and thus seeks addendum opinions. In the prior remand, the Board stated that a treatment record from February 1983 indicates that the Veteran was brought in by ambulance on a litter because he slipped and fell on ice. The Veteran reported that he could not get out of his sleeping bag the morning after the fall because of back pain. During the April 2017 hearing, the Veteran testified that he also injured his elbow in this fall. The examiner did not address the Veteran’s contentions regarding his February 1983 injury in the opinion. Also, regarding the right elbow, the Board requested that the opinion address whether the diagnosed disabilities, arthritis and ulnar sensory neuropathy of the right hand, were incurred in or aggravated by service. This was not addressed in the November 2017 opinion. Upon remand, the Board seeks an opinion that addresses this request. In addition, the March 2014 VA examination noted a diagnosis of degenerative or traumatic arthritis of the right foot. In the August 2017 remand, the Board asked that the examiner to address whether the Veteran’s degenerative/ traumatic arthritis in his foot was more likely than not incurred in or aggravated by service. However, the November 2017 examiner indicated that there was no degenerative or traumatic arthritis of the foot documented, and did not provide a nexus opinion regarding this disability. Given the prior diagnosis, the Board seeks clarification upon remand. The matters are REMANDED for the following action: 1. After securing any necessary consent forms from the Veteran, obtain any outstanding treatment records, to include any VA and/or private treatment records, pertaining to the issues on appeal. All efforts to obtain these records should be documented in the claim file. If any records could not be obtained, this should be noted in the claim file. 2. Upon completion of the above, obtain addendum opinions to address the etiology of the remaining claimed disabilities on appeal. If necessary, schedule the Veteran for a VA examination. The addendum opinions should address: (a) For each foot disability diagnosed, the examiner is asked to address whether it is at least as likely as not (i.e., a 50 percent or greater probability) that it was caused by the Veteran’s active duty service or, if preexisting service, was aggravated therein. The examiner is asked to specifically address the March 2014 VA examination, which noted a diagnosis of degenerative or traumatic arthritis of the right foot. The Board notes that the November 2017 examiner indicated that there was no degenerative or traumatic arthritis of the foot documented, and did not provide a nexus opinion regarding this disability. (b) For each disability of the right elbow diagnosed, the examiner is asked to address whether it is at least as likely as not (i.e., a 50 percent or greater probability) that it was caused by the Veteran’s active duty service or, if preexisting service, was aggravated therein. The examiner is asked to specifically address the Veteran’s contention that he injured his elbow in a February 1983 fall, when he slipped on ice. At the hearing, the Veteran indicated that there were x-rays taken. In addition, the Board asks that the opinion address whether the diagnosed disabilities, arthritis and ulnar sensory neuropathy of the right hand, were incurred in or aggravated by service. 3. If upon completion of the above action the issues are denied, the case should be returned to the Board after compliance with appellate procedures. E. I. VELEZ Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD K. Foster, Associate Counsel