Citation Nr: 21077053
Decision Date: 12/28/21	Archive Date: 12/28/21

DOCKET NO. 18-08 214
DATE: December 28, 2021

REMAND

Entitlement to service connection for bilateral knee osteoarthritis, to include as secondary to service-connected lumbar spine disability is remanded.

REASONS FOR REMAND

The Veteran had active duty service in the United States Army from January 1978 to August 1983.  

These matters are before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal from a March 2016 rating decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO).  

In March 2021, the Veteran appeared at a hearing before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge (VLJ).  A transcript of the hearing has been associated with the claims file.

The Veteran was provided a VA examination and opinion in February 2016 for his bilateral knees.  However, the opinion is inadequate as it did not address aggravation.

The matter is remanded for the following action:

1.  Obtain any outstanding VA or private treatment records.

2.  Thereafter, obtain an addendum to the February 2016 VA examination.  If determined necessary, the Veteran should be scheduled for an examination.

The examiner should opine as to whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's bilateral knee disability was aggravated by his service-connected lumbar spine and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.  The examiner should explain why or why not.

 

 

S. HENEKS

Veterans Law Judge

Board of Veterans' Appeals

Attorney for the Board	N. Kamal, 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 This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.