Citation Nr: 21024394 Decision Date: 04/22/21 Archive Date: 04/22/21 DOCKET NO. 17-23 768 DATE: April 22, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for right shoulder strain/bursitis is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran had active military service from January 1977 to January 1981 and from December 2001 to October 2002. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a September 2016 rating decision of a VA Regional Office (RO). The Veteran testified before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge at a March 2021 hearing before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board). The Veteran filed a claim for an increased rating for his shoulder disability in June 2016. In September 2016, the Veteran was afforded a VA examination for his shoulder disability. During the Veteran’s March 2021 Board hearing, the Veteran provided testimony indicating that his right shoulder disability had worsened since his last VA examination. Accordingly, this claim must be remanded so that the Veteran can be afforded a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his right shoulder disability. The matters are REMANDED for the following action: 1. Schedule the Veteran for a VA orthopedic examination by an appropriate clinician to determine the current severity of his service-connected right shoulder disability. The most up-to-date Disability Benefits Questionnaire should be utilized. The claims folder must be made available to the examiner for review in conjunction with this examination. The evaluation report should include a notation from the examiner that this review has occurred. The examiner should identify all pathology found to be present. The examiner should conduct all indicated tests and studies, to include range of motion studies. The joints involved should be tested in both active and passive motion, and in weight-bearing and non-weight bearing. The examiner must render specific findings and describe any pain, weakened movement, excess fatigability, instability of station, and incoordination. If pain on motion is observed, the examiner should indicate the point at which pain begins and how it results in additional limitation of function. If the examiner is unable to conduct the required testing, he or she should clearly explain why that is so. The examiner should also state whether the examination is taking place during a period of flare-up. If not, the examiner should ask the Veteran to describe the flare-ups he experiences, including the frequency, duration, characteristics, precipitating and alleviating factors, severity and/or extent of functional impairment he experiences during a flare-up of symptoms and/or after repeated use over time. Based on the Veteran’s lay statements and the other evidence of record, the examiner should provide an opinion estimating any additional degrees of limited motion caused by functional loss during a flare-up or after repeated use over time. If the examiner cannot estimate the degrees of additional range of motion loss during flare-ups or after repetitive use without resorting to speculation, the examiner should state whether the need to speculate is caused by a deficiency in the state of general medical knowledge (i.e., no one could respond given medical science and the known facts) or by a deficiency in the record or the examiner (i.e., additional facts are required, or the examiner does not have the needed knowledge or training). The Board recognizes the practical difficulties of scheduling an examination in view of the COVID-19 epidemic, and requests flexibility and understanding in affording the Veteran an opportunity to report for an examination. A. C. MACKENZIE Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board E. Hicks, 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.