BVA9505822 
DOCKET NO.  93-07 214     )       DATE
          )
          )

Received from the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Oakland,
California

THE ISSUES

1.  Entitlement to service connection for degenerative disc
disease of the cervical spine.

2.  Entitlement to service connection for residuals of
compression fracture of T-7.

3.  Entitlement to service connection for pelvic tilt.

4.  Entitlement to service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome.

REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by: Disabled American Veterans

WITNESS AT HEARING ON APPEAL

The appellant

ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

P. H. Mathis, Counsel

REMAND

The veteran had active service from October 1965 to August 1967.
This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board)
on appeal from rating decisions of the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in San Francisco, California.
In March 1993, the veteran testified at a hearing on appeal at
the RO before the member of the Board whose signature appears
below.

The claims folder contains multiple clinical records which have
not been considered by the RO in adjudication of the claims.
These were received subsequent to a Supplemental Statement of the
Case of August 1992, and no further Supplemental Statement of the
Case has been issued.  Inasmuch as there has been no waiver of
initial review of the evidence by the RO prior to action by the
Board, despite the fact that the representative was specifically
asked if he wished to so waive, the veteran's case must be
remanded to the RO for readjudication of the claim based on all
the evidence submitted in support thereof to ensure due process
of law.

Moreover, the Board would prefer to have the below requested
medical opinion before proceeding, in view of both the veteran's
sworn testimony and the representative's request for an expert
opinion.

Accordingly, the veteran's case is REMANDED to the RO for the
following actions:

The RO should arrange for an examination of
the veteran by a board-certified
orthopedist, if available, in order to
ascertain the present extent of any disease
of the cervical and thoracic spines, pelvic
disorder, or carpal tunnel syndrome.  All
indicated studies should be done.  The
examiner should have the claims folder for
his use, and should be asked to offer his
opinion, with full rationale, as to whether
it is at least as likely as not that any of
the above disabilities can be related to
trauma in service or the service-connected
lumbosacral strain, including the need for
crutches.

If the benefits sought on appeal are not granted to the
appellant's satisfaction, a Supplemental Statement of the Case,
addressing all issues in appellate status and reflecting full
consideration of all evidence of record, should be prepared and
furnished to the appellant and her representative.  They should
be provided an opportunity to respond.  Thereafter, in accordance
with proper appellate procedures, the case should be returned to
the Board for further appellate review, if otherwise in order.

In taking this action, the Board implies no conclusion, either
legal or factual, as to any final outcome warranted.  The
appellant need take no action unless otherwise notified.

          J. J. SCHULE
          Member, Board of Veterans' Appeals

The Board of Veterans' Appeals Administrative Procedures
Improvement Act, Pub. L. No. 103-271, § 6, 108 Stat. 740, ___
(1994), permits a proceeding instituted

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before the Board to be assigned to an individual member of the
Board for a determination.  This proceeding has been assigned to
an individual member of the Board.

Under 38 U.S.C.A. § 7252 (West 1991), only a decision of the
Board of Veterans' Appeals is appealable to the United States
Court of Veterans Appeals.  This remand is in the nature of a
preliminary order and does not constitute a decision of the Board
on the merits of your appeal.  38 C.F.R. § 20.1100(b) (1993).