BVA9505969 
DOCKET NO.  93-11 807     )       DATE
          )
          )

On appeal from the decision of the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in St. Petersburg,
Florida

THE ISSUE

Entitlement to an increased evaluation for bilateral weak foot,
presently rated as 10 percent disabling.

REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by: Veterans of Foreign Wars of the
United States

WITNESS AT HEARING ON APPEAL

Appellant

ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

P. J. McCarty, Associate Counsel

INTRODUCTION

The veteran served on active duty from May 1944 to May 1946.

This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board)
on appeal from a June 1992 decision of the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in St. Petersburg, Florida.
The veteran was afforded a personal hearing before the
undersigned member of the Board in May 1993.

REMAND

The record shows that the veteran is seeking service connection
for hip and low back disabilities secondary to his service-
connected bilateral weak foot.  These issues have not been
developed or adjudicated by the RO.

The Board notes that additional postservice records pertinent to
the veteran's claims appear to be available from the VA Medical
Center in Port Richey, Florida.  The veteran also stated that he
was treated recently by Dr. Goodman, a private podiatrist, in
Clearwater, Florida, and in approximately 1990 at the Mease
Hospital in Dunedin, Florida.  Records pertinent to such
treatment are not currently in the veteran's claims file.
Further, the Board notes that the veteran's last VA examination
of his feet for compensation purposes was in July 1984.

Accordingly, the Board concludes that further RO action is
necessary.  The case is therefore REMANDED to the RO for the
following actions:

1.  The veteran should be requested to
provide the names, addresses, and
approximate dates of treatment for all VA
and non-VA health care providers who have
treated him at any time since service for
hip and low back disabilities, as well as
for health care providers who have treated
him in recent years for his bilateral weak
foot disability.  With any necessary
authorization, the RO should attempt to
obtain copies of all postservice treatment
reports identified by the veteran which
have not been previously secured.
Specifically, the RO should attempt to
obtain copies of pertinent treatment
records from Dr. Goodman in Clearwater,
Florida, and the Mease Hospital in
Dunedin, Florida.  In any event, the RO
should obtain copies of any more recent
records pertaining to treatment of the
veteran at the VA Medical Center in Port
Richey, Florida.

2.   The veteran should be afforded a VA
examination by a board certified
orthopedist, if available, to determine
the nature and extent of the veteran's
bilateral weak foot disability.  The
examiner should also determine whether the
veteran has hip and low back disabilities,
and if so, give an opinion with respect to
each low back and hip disorder present as
to whether it is as least as likely as not
that it is etiologically related to the
veteran's service-connected bilateral weak
foot disability.  The rationale for any
opinions expressed should be provided.
The claims folder must be made available
to the examiner for review prior to the
examination.

3.  Then, the RO should undertake any
other indicated development, readjudicate
the issue on appeal, and adjudicate the
issues of entitlement to service
connection for hip and low back
disabilities.  The RO should specifically
consider whether service connection is
warranted for hip and low back
disabilities on a secondary basis.

If the benefit sought on appeal is not granted to the veteran's
satisfaction, or if a timely notice of disagreement is received
with respect to any other matter including the dispositions of
the claims for entitlement to service connection for hip and low
back disabilities, the RO should issue a Supplemental Statement
of the Case for all issues in appellate status, and the veteran
and his representative provided an opportunity to respond.  With
respect to any issue addressed in the Supplemental Statement of
the Case which does not appear on the title page of this
decision, the RO should advise the veteran of the requirements to
perfect an appeal.  Thereafter, the case should be returned to
the Board for further consideration, if otherwise in order.  By
this REMAND, the Board intimates no opinion as to any final
outcome warranted.  No action is required of the veteran until he
is otherwise notified by the RO.

          SHANE A. DURKIN
          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 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.  The above 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).