Citation Nr: 21024743 Decision Date: 04/26/21 Archive Date: 04/26/21 DOCKET NO. 17-33 971 DATE: April 26, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for a service-connected left knee disability is remanded. Entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for a service-connected right knee disability is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran had active service from May 1989 to August 1991. The Veteran testified before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge in an April 2020 Travel Board Hearing. A transcript of that hearing is of record. The Veteran’s appeal was most recently before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (the Board) in June 2020. In its decision, the Board remanded the Veteran’s claims for increased ratings for service-connected right knee and left knee disabilities to afford the Veteran a new Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) examination. The Board discussed how the medical evidence of record and the Veteran’s April 2020 hearing testimony indicated that the Veteran’s bilateral knee disabilities had worsened since a December 2015 VA examination. The Veteran received a VA examination in June 2020. For the reasons stated below, the Board concludes that the Veteran’s appeal must once again be remanded to afford the Veteran a new VA examination. 1. Entitlement to Increased Evaluations for Service-Connected Right Knee and Left Knee Disabilities Once VA affords a veteran a VA examination, it must ensure that it is adequate. 38 U.S.C. § 5103A; Barr v. Nicholson, 21 Vet. App. 303, 312 (2007). Here, the Veteran received a VA examination in June 2020, and the Board concludes that it is inadequate. The June 2020 VA examination report includes measurements and observations regarding the severity of the Veteran’s left knee disability. The report also notes that the Veteran had just walked for approximately two hours. It was noted that the Veteran had denied flare-ups. In October 2020 correspondence, the Veteran reported that the June 2020 VA examination was not thorough. He stated that he was experiencing significant knee pain when he arrived for his examination because he had just completed a full day off work as a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service (U.S.P.S.). However, contrary to the findings made in the June 2020 examination report, the Veteran indicated that a complete examination was not performed. He said that the examiner concluded the examination early due to his knee complaints. He said his knees were never really evaluated. For those reasons, he argued that the examination was incomplete and findings made in the examination report were unfounded. There is a clear disconnect when comparing the findings of the June 2020 VA examination and the Veteran’s personal report. Given the Veteran’s competent and credible report pertaining to his knee complaints after a full day of work, the Board agrees that the June 2020 examination report appears to be incomplete. His report of functional impairment does not appear to have been fully considered. A new examination is warranted.   The matters are REMANDED for the following action: Schedule the Veteran for an examination by an appropriate clinician to determine the current severity of his service-connected right knee disability and left knee disability. The examiner should provide a full description of the disabilities and report all signs and symptoms necessary for evaluating the Veteran’s disabilities under the rating criteria. The examiner should also consider the Veteran’s hearing testimony and statements of record regarding his knee symptoms and the impact that his symptoms have on his employment with the U.S. Postal Service. The examiner must test the Veteran’s active motion, passive motion, and pain with weight-bearing and without weight-bearing. If it is not possible to provide a specific measurement without speculation, the examiner must state such and provide rationale. The examiner must also address whether the Veteran has locking and/or instability of the right and/or left knee. If instability is shown, the examiner should indicate whether it is mild, moderate, or severe. If no instability is shown, such should be reconciled with the Veteran’s report of instability and his being prescribed knee braces. The examiner is asked to describe whether pain significantly limits functional ability during flares, and if so, the examiner must estimate range of motion during flares. If the examination does not take place during a period of flare-up, the examiner should glean information regarding the flares’ severity, frequency, duration, and functional loss manifestations from the Veteran, medical records, and other available sources. Efforts to obtain such information must be documented. If there is no pain and/or no limitation of function, such facts must be noted in the report. MICHAEL A. HERMAN Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board Douglas M. Humphrey, 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.