BVA decisions by condition
Ankle impairment: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a ankle impairment issue in 25,950 decisions. It granted the ankle impairment issue in 17.8% of them, close to the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 32.2%, and remanded it in 51.2%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 35.5% were granted.
Decisions
25,950
2017–2026
Granted
17.8%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
35.5%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
51.2%
Denied: 32.2%
Ankle impairment outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 1,739 | 9.1% | 34.1% | 52.8% | 3.9% |
| 2018 | 3,021 | 11.7% | 31.5% | 53.5% | 3.3% |
| 2019 | 3,580 | 13.9% | 30.2% | 54.3% | 1.6% |
| 2020 | 3,768 | 15.6% | 34.7% | 48.0% | 1.6% |
| 2021 | 3,655 | 15.9% | 31.4% | 51.4% | 1.3% |
| 2022 | 3,566 | 16.1% | 27.2% | 55.3% | 1.4% |
| 2023 | 4,181 | 17.1% | 27.2% | 54.5% | 1.2% |
| 2024 | 4,279 | 19.0% | 30.1% | 49.7% | 1.1% |
| 2025 | 4,211 | 22.2% | 35.0% | 42.0% | 0.8% |
| 2026 | 1,587 | 27.9% | 30.9% | 39.8% | 1.4% |
Each row counts issues (each condition the Board decided), so the shares add up to 100%. Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome. Years with fewer than 50 issues are left out.
Evidence in granted and denied ankle impairment decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the ankle impairment issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive nexus opinion | 3,453 | 68.2% | 28.1% | +40.1 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 2,854 | 58.5% | 30.9% | +27.6 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 1,040 | 58.1% | 34.4% | +23.7 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 6,920 | 46.3% | 30.6% | +15.7 pts |
| Combat service | 1,220 | 47.5% | 34.9% | +12.6 pts |
| Buddy statement | 838 | 47.3% | 35.1% | +12.2 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 3,716 | 45.3% | 34.5% | +10.8 pts |
| Lay statement | 21,678 | 35.5% | 35.7% | −0.2 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 70.5% of the decisions that granted ankle impairment.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 40.9% of grants and 14.0% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often ankle impairment was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative nexus opinion | 12,242 | 34.7% | 36.4% | −1.8 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 19,469 | 34.3% | 41.4% | −7.1 pts |
Ankle impairment claimed as a secondary condition
Decisions where ankle impairment was claimed as secondary to another service-connected disability (38 CFR 3.310), by that disability.
Why the Board granted or denied ankle impairment
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established522
- Caused by the service-connected disability115
- Already at the maximum schedular rating93
- Continuity of symptomatology since service83
- Marked limitation of motion67
- Criteria for service connection met58
- Service connection established58
- In-service injury documented40
Most common reasons in denials
- No current diagnosis1,012
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim822
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service630
- Current diagnosis established530
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis525
- Service records negative or silent488
- Already at the maximum schedular rating311
- No continuity of symptomatology114
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent ankle impairment decisions
Granted
Competent and credible lay testimony regarding onset and continuity of symptoms since service.; Service treatment records reflect a right ankle complaint.; Resolving doubt in Veteran's favor.
Negative service treatment records.; Diagnosis shortly after service separation.; No indication of post-service cause.; No evidence against nexus to service.
Lay statements consistent with service; STRs show complaint of ankle pain; Benefit of the doubt applied
Denied
VA examination did not indicate marked symptomatology; Evidence did not support higher rating than 10 percent; Veteran's lay opinion outweighed by VA examination
STRs silent for right ankle complaints/treatment; Post-service VA exam normal with subjective pain; No current diagnosis of right ankle condition; Pain alone does not constitute disability per Saunders v. Wilkie
No current diagnosis of bilateral ankle disability; No evidence of functional impairment; No complaints or treatments in service records
Rules that apply to ankle impairment claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your ankle impairment case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a ankle impairment issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.