The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for low back, left knee, otolaryngologic, right elbow, and right inguinal hernia disabilities due to incomplete medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's eczema disability is also being remanded for additional clarification of his treatment history.

The deciding factor: Incomplete Medical Opinions: The Board has identified gaps in the medical evidence that need further clarification to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's disabilities.

Claimed conditions

{"condition_name":"Low Back Disability","diagnosis":null,"etiology":"The examiner should identify any currently diagnosed back disabilities and provide an opinion as to whether each disability had its onset during service or is otherwise related to service."}, {"condition_name":"Left Knee Disability","diagnosis":["Osteoarthritis","Low to moderate chondromalacia","Remote partial ACL tear with an intact meniscus","Intraarticular body posterior to the PCL suggestive of chondral body"],"etiology":"The examiner should identify all currently diagnosed left knee disabilities, provide opinions as to whether each disability clearly and unmistakably preexisted service or was aggravated by service, and provide an opinion as to whether it had onset during service or is otherwise related to service."}, {"condition_name":"Otolaryngologic Disability","diagnosis":["Sinusitis","Pharyngitis","Otitis Media","Eustachian tube dysfunction","Ear infections"],"etiology":"The examiner should identify all currently diagnosed otolaryngologic disabilities, provide opinions as to whether each disability had onset during service or is otherwise related to service (except for the allergic rhinitis which has already been granted service connection), and provide an opinion as to whether any respiratory symptoms are a sign of an undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multisystem illness related to service in the Persian Gulf."}, {"condition_name":"Right Elbow Disability","diagnosis":["Recurrent chronic right elbow tendinitis"],"etiology":"The examiner should provide an opinion as to whether each currently diagnosed right elbow disability had onset during or is otherwise related to active service."}, {"condition_name":"Right Inguinal Hernia Disability","diagnosis":["Right inguinal hernia"],"etiology":"The examiner should provide an opinion as to whether the right inguinal hernia disability had onset during or is otherwise related to active service."}, {"condition_name":"Eczema","diagnosis":null,"etiology":"Obtain a VA medical opinion regarding the nature of the Veteran’s service-connected eczema disability, including whether it has worsened since the last examination and what treatment is needed to manage the condition."}

How they argued it

Direct service connection

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

None in this decision

Decision date

January 31, 2020

Citation

20007823