Citation Nr: 21064804 Decision Date: 10/21/21 Archive Date: 10/21/21 DOCKET NO. 16-34 570 DATE: October 21, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for a left lower extremity condition is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from December 1972 to April 1975. This matter is before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal from a March 2015 rating decision by a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). In May 2019, the Veteran testified before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge at a hearing. A copy of the transcript is associated with the Veteran's claims file. The Board remanded this matter for further development in February 2021. That remand detailed the procedural history of this appeal. Entitlement to service connection for a left lower extremity condition is remanded. The Veteran contends that his left lower extremity condition began during boot camp training at Parris Island. See Hearing Transcript, pages 3 and 8. He avers that he was seen at sick call twice and was also x-rayed twice at Parris Island for complaints of weakness on his left side. See Hearing Transcript, page 3. Moreover, he avers that his left leg weakness continued after service and was accompanied by pain as he aged. See April 2014 correspondence. As stated in the prior remand, the Veteran's service treatment records are negative for any left lower extremity complaints, treatments, or diagnosis. His military service records reflect that he was stationed at Parris Island for training, and his report of running and jumping during training is generally consistent with the places, types, and circumstances of his service. Post-service medical records showed the Veteran has a diagnosis of lumbar radiculopathy as of January 2013 and an August 2020 x-ray report showed mild arthritis in his left knee. See October 2014 and January 2021 private treatment records. The Board remanded this matter to request opinions and a rationale that considered the Veteran's in-service treatment and his assertions that he experienced left leg weakness during training, that it continued after service, and was accompanied by pain as he aged. In August 2021, the Veteran underwent the requested VA examinations. He was diagnosed with degenerative arthritis of the left knee and left lower extremity radiculopathy. This examiner provided an unfavorable nexus opinion but did not provide an adequate rationale. His rationale for the unfavorable opinions were essentially that a left lower extremity condition was not shown to be present in service or within one year after separation from service, which alone is not a sufficient basis to find a lack of causal nexus. The stated opinion and rationale are not fully articulated and supported by a reasoned analysis. Thus, a remand is required for an addendum opinion supported by a fully explained rationale addressing the etiology of the current disability. See Barr v. Nicholson, 21 Vet. App. 303, 312 (2007); Nieves-Rodriguez v. Peake, 22 Vet. App. 295, 302 (2008). The matter is REMANDED for the following action: Obtain an addendum opinion addressing the nature and etiology of his left lower extremity condition(s). The claims folder and a copy of this Remand must be made available and reviewed by the appropriate examiner. The examiner must opine whether any current left lower extremity condition (to include but not limited to, lumbar radiculopathy) is at least as likely as not related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. The examiner must opine whether any current left lower extremity arthritis manifested to a compensable degree within one year of service. In providing the requested opinions and rationale, the examiner is to consider the Veteran's description of his in-service injury and symptoms as well as his post-service symptoms. The examiner is advised that the Veteran asserts he began experiencing weakness with his left leg during training at Parris Island and that the weakness continued after service and was accompanied by pain as he aged. A fully-explained rationale for the requested opinions must be provided. The examiner is advised that an unfavorable nexus opinion based solely on the lack of a diagnosed lower extremity disorder during service will not be considered adequate. 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 lower extremity disabilities are known to develop or are the Veteran's reports generally inconsistent with medical knowledge or implausible? The RO should ensure substantial compliance with the remand directives prior to returning the appeal to the Board. D. JOHNSON Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans' Appeals Attorney for the Board M. Tang, 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.