BVA9505980 
DOCKET NO.  92-18 199     )       DATE
          )
          )

On appeal from the decision of the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Montgomery,
Alabama

THE ISSUES

1.  Entitlement to service connection for arthritis of the right
hip.

2.  Entitlement to an increased rating for left knee strain with
arthritic changes, currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling.

REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by: Disabled American Veterans

WITNESS AT HEARING ON APPEAL

Appellant

ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

Milo H. Hawley, Counsel

INTRODUCTION

The veteran had active service from November 1942 to April 1946,
and from March 1951 to March 1952.

This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board)
on appeal from April and June 1992 decisions by the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office in Montgomery, Alabama
(RO), which held that there was no new and material evidence to
reopen the veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis
of the left knee and right hip, and denied an increased rating
for the veteran's service-connected left knee strain,
respectively.

Following the Board's January 1994 remand an April 1994 rating
decision granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of
the left knee, and assigned a 10 percent evaluation.  This rating
action also held that new and material evidence had been
presented to reopen a claim for service connection for arthritis
of the right hip, but continued to deny service connection for
that disability.

REMAND

It is contended that the veteran's service-connected left knee
disability is more disabling than currently evaluated.  It is
asserted that the veteran experiences instability and pain with
respect to the left knee.  It is also asserted that the veteran's
right hip disability was caused because the veteran had to favor
his service-connected left knee disability, causing a weight
shift and greater stress to be placed upon the right hip.  It is
asserted that the grant of service connection for degenerative
arthritis of the knee, in effect, grants service connection for
all joints which are arthritic.
In reviewing the record, the Board notes that in addition to
active service during World War II, the veteran apparently also
had active service during the Korean Conflict.  The record does
not indicate any attempt to secure service medical records
pertaining to this service.  In order to afford the veteran every
consideration, and help him prove his claim, any available
service records must be obtained.  Thus regrettably final
appellate decision must be deferring pending further development.

Accordingly, the case is being REMANDED for the following action:

The RO should seek any available service
medical records pertaining to the veteran's
active Air Force service from March 1951 to
March 1952.

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 the 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 further development.  No
inference should be drawn from it regarding the final disposition
of the veteran's claim.

          E. W. SEERY
          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) (1994).