BVA decisions by condition
Bone neoplasm benign: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a bone neoplasm benign issue in 1,161 decisions. It granted the bone neoplasm benign issue in 12.7% of them, below the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 36.2%, and remanded it in 50.0%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 25.9% were granted.
Decisions
1,161
2017–2026
Granted
12.7%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
25.9%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
50.0%
Denied: 36.2%
Bone neoplasm benign outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 219 | 14.2% | 34.7% | 45.7% | 5.5% |
| 2018 | 368 | 11.1% | 36.1% | 50.0% | 2.7% |
| 2019 | 195 | 9.2% | 33.3% | 52.3% | 5.1% |
| 2020 | 101 | 10.9% | 39.6% | 49.5% | 0.0% |
| 2021 | 94 | 14.9% | 36.2% | 47.9% | 1.1% |
| 2022 | 84 | 8.3% | 26.2% | 63.1% | 2.4% |
| 2023 | 80 | 11.3% | 25.0% | 62.5% | 1.3% |
| 2024 | 86 | 8.1% | 26.7% | 62.8% | 2.3% |
| 2025 | 77 | 16.9% | 35.1% | 44.2% | 3.9% |
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 Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome.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 bone neoplasm benign decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the bone neoplasm benign 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treating physician opinion | 51 | 56.7% | 24.2% | +32.5 pts |
| Positive nexus opinion | 134 | 52.3% | 21.1% | +31.2 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 118 | 44.9% | 22.4% | +22.6 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 135 | 37.3% | 24.6% | +12.7 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 289 | 34.7% | 22.9% | +11.8 pts |
| Combat service | 72 | 34.1% | 25.2% | +8.9 pts |
| Lay statement | 914 | 25.6% | 27.5% | −1.8 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 70.7% of the decisions that granted bone neoplasm benign.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 33.3% of grants and 13.8% 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 bone neoplasm benign 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 | 501 | 21.1% | 30.9% | −9.8 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 778 | 22.1% | 40.9% | −18.7 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied bone neoplasm benign
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established21
- Criteria for service connection met5
- In-service injury documented4
- Caused by the service-connected disability4
- New and material evidence submitted2
Most common reasons in denials
- No current diagnosis63
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim45
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service31
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis27
- Current diagnosis established26
- Service records negative or silent25
- No continuity of symptomatology7
- No nexus to service established5
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 bone neoplasm benign decisions
Granted
Favorable private medical opinion; Benefit of the doubt applied; In-service injury documented
Favorable findings from AOJ regarding current diagnosis and in-service plantar fasciitis; Conflicting opinions: VA exam found less likely than not related; private physician found highly likely caused by service; Board applied benefit of the doubt due to balanced evidence
Presumption of soundness applies due to no noted pre-service injury.; In-service injury (groin strain) linked to current pubic bone deformity via x-ray and private medical opinion.; Doubt resolved in veteran's favor due to nearly equal evidence.
Denied
No evidence of in-service manifestation or result; No manifestation within one year of separation
Current disability met; No evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation; No credible evidence of radiation or toxic exposure; Weight of evidence against claim
No current diagnosis of bone spurs; Post-service medical records and VA exams did not confirm current diagnosis
Rules that apply to bone neoplasm benign 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 bone neoplasm benign 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 bone neoplasm benign 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.