Citation Nr: 21027548
Decision Date: 05/06/21	Archive Date: 05/06/21

DOCKET NO. 16-16 715
DATE: May 6, 2021

REMANDED

Entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for left knee tricompartmental osteoarthritis with limitation of extension, status post left knee total replacement (total left knee replacement), since April 1, 2019, is remanded.

REASONS FOR REMAND

The Veteran served on active duty from August 1973 to October 1975.  

This matter is before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal from a March 2014 rating decision of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). 

In September 2020, the Board remanded the above-referenced issue for further development.

Entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 30 percent total left knee replacement, since April 1, 2019 is remanded.

In December 2020, the Veteran underwent a VA examination to evaluate the severity of his service-connected total left knee replacement. The Board finds that this examination is inadequate to resolve the issue on appeal as it appears to demonstrate internally inconsistent findings and its findings appear to conflict with other evidence of record. 

The December 2020 examiner reported that the Veteran's left knee had limitation of extension to 40 degrees. The examiner indicated that this finding was normal for the Veteran's body habitus and was of no clinical significance. The Board notes that such a finding conflicts with the report of the August 2020 examiner that the Veteran had left knee extension to 0 degrees. Private treatment records from the Campbell Clinic in June 2018 report full extension of the left knee and that the Veteran has "excellent motion of the left knee" in March 2019. Moreover, the December 2020 examiner indicates in the "Medical History" section of the examination that the only symptom reported by the Veteran is "slight pain." As the reports of limitation of extension to 40 degrees appear to conflict with these reports (including the Veteran's own statements), the Board finds that a new, comprehensive examination should be afforded prior to adjudication of the Veteran's claim. 

The matters are REMANDED for the following action:

1. Undertake appropriate efforts to obtain any outstanding treatment records for the Veteran from the Campbell Clinic since March 2019.

2. The Veteran must be afforded an examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected left knee disability. The claims file must be made available to the examiner. 

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Any indicated diagnostic tests and studies must be accomplished. All pertinent symptomatology and findings should be reported in detail.

 

 

K. Parakkal

Veterans Law Judge

Board of Veterans' Appeals

Attorney for the Board	P.M. Johnson, 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.