Citation Nr: 21025587 Decision Date: 04/28/21 Archive Date: 04/28/21 DOCKET NO. 15-42 677 DATE: April 28, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for a left knee disorder, to include as secondary to left ankle disorder, is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty for training (ACDUTRA) from August 1978 to March 1979. These matters come before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a December 2014 rating decision of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). These matters were previously before the Board in April 2019 and were remanded for additional development. The case is once again before the Board. Entitlement to service connection for a left knee disability is remanded The Veteran maintains that his left knee disorder is related to his ACDUTRA training as a parachutist. Alternatively, he asserts that his left knee condition was caused by his service-connected left ankle disability. Pursuant to the April 2019 Board remand, the Veteran underwent an additional examination in September 2020 to determine the nature and etiology of his left knee disorder. The September 2020 examiner determined it was less likely than not that the Veteran’s knee condition was related to service given that he had a meniscal tear in his left knee in 1984, after the Veteran’s period of ACDUTRA. While the examiner noted the Veteran’s contention of knee pain during airborne training, the examiner’s rationale fails to reflect consideration of his contention that his current condition is related to his parachuting activity in service. See Dalton v. Nicholson, 21 Vet. App. 23, 39-40 (2007); Miller v. Wilkie, 32 Vet. App. 249, 260 (2020). Therefore, the claim must be remanded for an addendum opinion to address this contention. See Barr v. Nicholson, 21 Vet. App. 303, 311 (2007). The matter is REMANDED for the following action: 1. Arrange for an appropriate health care provider to review the Veteran’s claims file and provide an opinion as to whether it is at least as likely as not (50 percent probability or greater) that the current left knee condition onset during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. The examiner should address the Veteran’s contention that his left knee injury is related to his airborne training. 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. However, if there is a medical reason to doubt its veracity, the examiner should explain why the Veteran’s statements or recollection are inconsistent with the evidence in this case, medical principles relating to the onset and progress of the disease, the specific findings in the record, and/or your professional judgment. If the reviewing health care provider finds that physical examination or telehealth interview of the Veteran and/or diagnostic testing is necessary, such should be accomplished. 2. Thereafter, readjudicate the issue on appeal. James Springer Acting Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board E.V. Palatt, 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.