BVA9502800 
DOCKET NO.  93-22 641     )       DATE
          )
          )

On appeal from the decision of the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Nashville,
Tennessee

THE ISSUES

1.  Entitlement to service connection of a right knee disorder.

2.  Entitlement to service connection for a left knee disorder.

REPRESENTATION

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

WITNESS AT HEARING ON APPEAL

The veteran

ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

J. T. Hutcheson, Associate Counsel

REMAND

The veteran had active military service from September 1981 to
September 1984.  This matter came before the Board of Veterans'
Appeals (hereinafter "the Board") on appeal from a November 1991
rating decision of the Nashville, Tennessee Regional Office
(hereinafter "the RO") which denied service connection for both a
right knee disorder and a left knee disorder.  In February 1994,
the Board remanded this appeal to the RO for further development
of the record including scheduling a Department of Veterans
Affairs (hereinafter "VA") orthopedic examination for
compensation purposes.  The requested evaluation was scheduled
for September 1994 but ultimately canceled after the veteran
failed to report.  The veteran has been represented throughout
this appeal by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.

A January 1995 Report of Contact from the accredited
representative indicates that the veteran had reported separating
from his wife; leaving his residence of record and receiving no
recent VA correspondence including notice of the September 1994
VA examination for compensation purposes.  The accredited
representative has submitted the veteran's current address and
requests that this appeal be again remanded in order to
reschedule the VA examination for compensation purposes.  Given
these facts and in light of the accredited representative's
statement, the Board concludes that an additional attempt should
be made to schedule the requested examination.  Accordingly, this
case is REMANDED for the following action:

The RO should again schedule the veteran
for a VA orthopedic examination in order to
determine the current nature and severity
of his right knee and left knee disorders,
if any.  The examination should be
conducted in accordance with the
Physician's Guide to Disability Evaluation
Examinations.  All indicated tests and
studies should be accomplished and the
findings then reported in detail.  The
claims folder should be made available to
the examiner prior to the examination.

When the requested action has been completed, and if his claim
continues to be denied, the veteran should be afforded a
reasonable period of time in which to respond to a supplemental
statement of the case.  Thereafter, subject to current appellate
procedures, the case should be returned to the Board for further
appellate consideration if appropriate.  The veteran need not
take any action unless he is further informed.  The purpose of
this REMAND is to allow for further development of the record.
No inference should be drawn from it regarding the final
disposition of the veteran's claim.

          JEFF MARTIN
          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.  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).