Citation Nr: 18115643
Decision Date: 07/02/18	Archive Date: 07/02/18

DOCKET NO. 15-00 587
DATE:	July 2, 2018
REMANDED
Entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder condition, as secondary to a service-connected right elbow disability, is remanded.
REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran served on active duty from October 1971 to April 1976. 
This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) from a May 2012 rating decision by a Regional Office (RO) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). 
In February 2018, the Veteran appeared at a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge of the Board. A transcript of the hearing is of record.
The Veteran underwent a VA examination in October 2011 to determine if the Veteran’s right shoulder condition was related to his service-connected right elbow disability. Although the examiner provided an opinion on causation, an opinion concerning aggravation was not provided. At the February 2018 Board hearing,    the Veteran contended the VA examiner did not address the functional impact of his right elbow disability on his right shoulder. In light of the above, the Board finds a new VA examination and opinion should be obtained.
At his Board hearing, the Veteran indicated he received treatment for his right shoulder condition from private and VA medical providers, to include physical therapy. Therefore, updated private and VA medical records should also be obtained.
The matter is REMANDED for the following action:
1. Ask the Veteran to provide the names and addresses of all medical care providers who have recently treated him for his claimed right shoulder condition.  After securing any necessary releases, request any relevant records identified that are not duplicates of those associated with the claims file. In addition, obtain updated VA treatment records. If any requested records are unavailable, the Veteran should be notified of such.
2. After records development is completed, schedule the Veteran for a right shoulder examination to address whether the Veteran’s right shoulder disability is aggravated by his service-connected right elbow disability. The claims file must be reviewed by the examiner in conjunction with the examination. All necessary tests should be conducted and the results reported.
After review of the claims file and examination of the Veteran, the examiner should respond to the following:
a.	Is it at least as likely as not (50 percent probability or greater) that the Veteran’s claimed right shoulder condition was caused by his service- connected elbow disability? The examiner should explain why or why   not, to include addressing the mechanical functional affect, if any, of the disabled     right elbow on the right shoulder.
b.	If not caused by the service-connected elbow disability, is it at least as likely       as not that the Veteran’s right shoulder condition is worsened beyond natural progression (aggravated) by his service-connected elbow disability? The examiner should explain why or why not, to include addressing the mechanical functional affect, if any, of the disabled right elbow on the right shoulder 
c.	If the examiner finds that the Veteran’s right shoulder condition was aggravated by his service-connected elbow disability, the examiner should attempt to quantify the      level of aggravation beyond the baseline     level of the right shoulder disability.
 
K. A. BANFIELD
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	M. C. Birder, Associate Counsel