Citation Nr: 21015806 Decision Date: 03/18/21 Archive Date: 03/18/21 DOCKET NO. 16-25 951 DATE: March 18, 2021 REMANDED Service connection for a bilateral elbow disability is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from June 1975 to October 1975 in the U.S. Army and from September 1976 to December 1999 in the U.S. Air Force. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) from an April 2012 rating decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Veteran testified before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge at a Board hearing in June 2019. The Veteran contends that he has arthritis in his elbows that is related to an in-service helicopter crash. The Veteran was afforded a VA examination in August 2020. The examiner noted that the Veteran’s primary care physician ordered x-rays, but there was no follow up due to Covid-19. The Board finds that remand is warranted to obtain x-rays. Additionally, the VA examiner diagnosed the Veteran with olecranon dysfunction because he did not have swelling, redness, or signs of bursitis and opined that the Veteran’s bilateral elbow disability is less likely than not incurred in or caused by the claimed in-service injury, event, or disease. The rationale stated that x-ray of the elbows was normal in November 2011 and the medical records do not support that his bilateral olecranon strain with residual olecranon dysfunction is due to service. The Board finds that the August 2020 VA opinion is inadequate for adjudication purposes because it is conclusory. Accordingly, remand is warranted to obtain a new VA examination and opinion. The matter is REMANDED for the following action: 1. Obtain any outstanding VA treatment records. 2. Thereafter, schedule the Veteran for an appropriate VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the claimed bilateral elbow disability. The examiner is advised that when pain causes functional loss, pain alone, without an accompanying diagnosis of a present disease, can qualify as a disability. Any necessary tests and studies should be completed, including x-rays, and all findings should be reported in detail. The claims file should be made available to the examiner and review should be noted. The examiner must opine whether it is at least as likely as not (50 percent or greater probability) that any elbow disability is related to any in-service injury, event, or disease. The examiner should specifically consider whether the Veteran’s claimed elbow disability is related to his in-service helicopter crash. See June 2019 Hearing Transcript. The examiner is advised that the Veteran is competent to report symptoms, treatment, and injuries, and that his reports must be considered in formulating the requested opinion. A complete rationale must be provided for all opinions offered. JOHN Z. JONES Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board T. Kernen, Associate 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.