Citation Nr: 21004128 Decision Date: 01/26/21 Archive Date: 01/26/21 DOCKET NO. 18-19 043 DATE: January 26, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for left knee disability is remanded. Entitlement to service connection for right knee disability is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from November 1975 to January 1978. These matters come before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a February 2017 rating decision by a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). 1. Entitlement to service connection for left knee disability is remanded. 2. Entitlement to service connection for right knee disability is remanded. The Board cannot make a fully-informed decision on these claims because no VA examiner has opined whether the Veteran’s left or right knee disability is related to his military service, to include parachute jumping and carrying heavy equipment. The Veteran has competently said he experienced knee pain during training. The claim is remanded for a medical opinion. 38 C.F.R. § 3.159 (c)(4). The matters are REMANDED for the following action: 1. Schedule the Veteran for a VA examination for his left and right knee disability. The examiner must review the claims file. If a diagnosis cannot be provided but the Veteran’s condition manifests in symptoms that cause functional impairment, then the examiner should consider them a “disability” for the purpose of providing the requested opinion below. The examiner is asked to provide a response to the following: Is the Veteran’s left or right knee disability at least as likely as not (50 percent or greater probability) related to service, including parachute jumps and carrying heavy equipment? Provide a rationale to support the opinion. The clinician is advised that the Veteran’s DD 214 indicates that he received a parachute badge, which is consistent with his report of parachute jumping. Additionally, the clinician is advised that the Veteran reported in his March 2018 VA Form 9 indicates that the Veteran’s knee issues started in 1975, although the Veteran denied trick or locked knee in his service treatment records (STRs) in October 1975, March 1976, and November 1977. In providing the requested opinion, consider the Veteran’s description of his in-service injury and symptoms as well as his post-service symptoms. If there is any medical reason to accept or reject the proposition that the Veteran’s reported injury and symptoms in service and thereafter represented the onset of his current disability, this should be noted. Stated another way, do the Veteran’s reports about his symptoms align with how the currently diagnosed disability is known to develop or are the Veteran’s reports generally inconsistent with medical knowledge or implausible? If it is not possible to hold an in-person examination, consider obtaining an etiological opinion based upon the medical record. M.E. Larkin Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board A. Budd, Counsel The Board’s decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.