Citation Nr: 18158862 Decision Date: 12/18/18 Archive Date: 12/18/18 DOCKET NO. 17-01 197 DATE: December 18, 2018 REMANDED The claim of entitlement to service connection for a left knee condition is remanded. The claim of entitlement to service connection for a right knee condition is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from July 1976 to October 1988. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on an appeal from an August 2016 rating decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office in St. Louis, Missouri. The appeal is REMANDED to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ). VA will notify the Veteran if further action is required. Although the Board regrets the additional delay, further development is necessary prior to adjudication of the claims for entitlement to service connection for left and right knee conditions. The Veteran contends that he injured his knees while engaging in daily training activities and performing his duties as an electrician in service. According to the Veteran, he sought treatment for his knees while in service, treated the pain himself and has continued to receive treatment and experience pain since service. VA treatment records reflect that the Veteran has been diagnosed with moderately advanced osteoarthritis of the knees bilaterally. The Board cannot make a fully-informed decision on the issue of entitlement to service connection for left and right knee conditions because no VA examiner has opined whether the Veteran’s current diagnosis may be related to service. Given the foregoing, the Board concludes that remand is warranted for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran’s claims for left and right knee conditions. 38 U.S.C. § 5103A(d). See McLendon v. Nicholson, 20 Vet. App. 79, 81 (2006) (VA must provide an examination where there is competent evidence of a disability (or persistent or recurrent symptoms of a disability) that may be associated with an in-service event, injury or disease but there is insufficient information to decide the claim.) The matter is REMANDED for the following action: 1. Obtain any outstanding VA treatment records relevant to the Veteran’s left and right knee conditions. 2. After all available records have been associated with the claims file, schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his left and right knee conditions. All indicated tests and studies should be conducted and all clinical findings reported in detail. The entire claims file and this REMAND should be made available to and be reviewed by the examiner in conjunction with this request. Following review of the claims file and examination of the Veteran, the examiner should provide an opinion regarding whether it is at least as likely as not (50 percent probability or more) that the Veteran’s left and right knee conditions are causally related to his active service. Please explain why or why not, specifically discussing the Veteran’s claims that he experienced knee pain during service as a result of running and training and that the pain has gotten worse since service. The examiner is advised that the Veteran is competent to report symptoms and that his reports must be considered in formulating the requested opinions. If the Veteran’s reports are discounted, the examiner should provide a reason for doing so. A complete rationale for the examiner’s opinion should be provided, citing to specific evidence of record, as necessary. If the examiner cannot provide an opinion without resort to speculation, the examiner should provide an explanation as to why this is so and whether there is additional evidence that would permit an opinion to be provided. The Veteran has the right to submit additional evidence and argument on the matter the Board has remanded. Kutscherousky v. West, 12 Vet. App. 369 (1999). The claim must be afforded expeditious treatment. The law requires that all claims that are remanded by the Board or by the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims for additional development or other appropriate action must be handled in an expeditious manner. See 38 U.S.C. §§ 5109B, 7112. (Signature on Next Page) S. C. KREMBS Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD M. Snyder, Associate Counsel