Citation Nr: 21072875 Decision Date: 12/06/21 Archive Date: 12/06/21 DOCKET NO. 17-65 178 DATE: December 6, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for a left leg disorder is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from January 1961 to December 1962. This case comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal of an April 2017 rating decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). This case was last before the Board in July 2021 when the Board remanded the case to obtain x-rays and an addendum medical opinion. In the July 2021 Board remand directive, the Board instructed the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) to determine whether x-rays of the lower extremity were accomplished. If the x-rays were not obtained, the AOJ was directed to obtain them. The addendum opinion was produced in August 2021. The examiner did not mention any x-rays. The AOJ noticed the lack of x-rays and requested that the August 2021 examiner determine if the x-rays were completed and if not, to schedule the Veteran for x-rays. In October 2021, a different VA examiner wrote that the Veteran's file was reviewed, x-rays were not necessary, and the prior opinion from August 2021 was upheld. No x-rays were ordered or produced in accordance with the July 2021 Board remand. Thus, the Board finds there has not been substantial compliance with the Board's previous remand directive instructing the AOJ to obtain x-rays along with an addendum opinion. Another remand is required to comply with the remand directives, which are copied in large part below. Stegall v. West, 11 Vet. App. 268, 271 (1998). The matters are REMANDED for the following action: 1. Schedule the Veteran for x-rays of the left lower extremity. 2. Return the claims file and left lower extremity x-ray report to an appropriate clinician for an addendum opinion. An additional examination is not needed unless requested by the examiner. The examiner is requested to identify all diagnoses pertaining to the left leg. 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 The examiner is requested to state whether it is at least as likely as not (at least an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence) that the Veteran's claimed left leg disorder had its onset during any period of active-duty service or is otherwise etiologically related to his active-duty service. A complete, well-reasoned rationale must be provided for any opinion offered. A. C. MACKENZIE Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans' Appeals Attorney for the Board D. Hetman 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.