Citation Nr: 18156015
Decision Date: 12/06/18	Archive Date: 12/06/18

DOCKET NO. 16-39 647
DATE:	December 6, 2018
REMANDED
Entitlement to service connection for a right knee disorder, including as secondary to the service-connected left knee disorder is remanded.
Entitlement to an evaluation greater than 10 percent for service-connected left knee degenerative joint disease (DJD) is remanded.
Entitlement to an evaluation greater than 10 percent for service-connected left knee instability is remanded.
REMAND
The Veteran served in the U.S. Marine Corps from July 1981 to July 1985.
The present appeal arises from a February 2013 rating decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in St. Petersburg, Florida.  This decision was itself a reconsideration of an earlier December 2011 rating decision.
REASONS FOR REMAND
Remand is required to secure a complete and accurate record on which to adjudicate the Veteran’s claims.
Entitlement to service connection for a right knee disorder, including as secondary to the service-connected left knee disorder is remanded.
Although the Veteran has solely alleged entitlement to secondary service connection, review of service treatment records (STRs) shows treatment for a bruise of the right knee following a football game in August 1983.  The possibility of direct service connection has not been considered, and requires examination on remand.  
Further, while the November 2011 VA examiner commented on the Veteran’s gait when discussing the impact of the left knee on the right, he did not address the Veteran’s main complaint of difficulty of weight shifting and adjustment at work on ladders and stairs. Such should be addressed on remand.
Entitlement to evaluations greater than 10 percent for service-connected left knee DJD and instability are remanded.
The Veteran argues that his left knee disability has worsened since the last VA examination in 2012, and provides examples of functional impacts of the disabilities, as well as supportive VA treatment records. Further, in 2016 the RO recharacterized the service-connected disabilities, and updated findings are required.  
The matters are REMANDED for the following action:
1. Take all required actions to obtain additional updated relevant VA treatment records.
2. Schedule the Veteran for a VA joints/knee examination; the claims folder must be reviewed in conjunction with the examination.  The examiner must identify all currently diagnosed right and left knee disabilities. 
For each diagnosed right knee disability, the examiner must opine as to whether such is at least as likely as not related to military service or to the service-connected left knee disorder.  In-service treatment of a right knee bruise and statements regarding altered body mechanics must be discussed.
Describe in detail the Veteran’s service-connected left knee disabilities.
3. Upon completion of the above, and any additional development deemed appropriate, readjudicate the remanded issues.  If the benefits sought remain denied, the Veteran should be provided with a supplemental statement of the case.  The case should then be returned to the Board for appellate review if otherwise in order. 
 
WILLIAM H. DONNELLY
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	L.J. Bakke, Counsel