BVA decisions by condition
Tibia and fibula impairment: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a tibia and fibula impairment issue in 1,226 decisions. It granted the tibia and fibula impairment issue in 18.8% of them, close to the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 31.2%, and remanded it in 50.7%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 37.7% were granted.
Decisions
1,226
2017–2026
Granted
18.8%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
37.7%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
50.7%
Denied: 31.2%
Tibia and fibula impairment outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 94 | 14.9% | 24.5% | 54.3% | 6.4% |
| 2018 | 176 | 13.6% | 35.2% | 49.4% | 1.7% |
| 2019 | 210 | 16.2% | 32.9% | 48.1% | 2.9% |
| 2020 | 225 | 18.7% | 35.6% | 44.4% | 1.3% |
| 2021 | 165 | 17.0% | 33.3% | 47.9% | 1.8% |
| 2022 | 157 | 18.5% | 10.8% | 69.4% | 1.3% |
| 2023 | 211 | 22.7% | 24.6% | 51.7% | 0.9% |
| 2024 | 189 | 19.0% | 29.1% | 50.8% | 1.1% |
| 2025 | 164 | 23.2% | 35.4% | 41.5% | 0.0% |
| 2026 | 80 | 28.7% | 33.8% | 37.5% | 0.0% |
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 Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome.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 tibia and fibula impairment decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the tibia and fibula 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 | 130 | 56.3% | 35.2% | +21.1 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 141 | 55.0% | 34.3% | +20.7 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 49 | 52.2% | 37.1% | +15.1 pts |
| Combat service | 45 | 46.7% | 37.5% | +9.2 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 82 | 44.4% | 37.4% | +7.1 pts |
| Lay statement | 1,003 | 38.1% | 35.5% | +2.6 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 296 | 36.0% | 38.3% | −2.3 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 55.4% of the decisions that granted tibia and fibula impairment.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 31.2% of grants and 12.6% 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 tibia and fibula 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 | 503 | 30.0% | 43.1% | −13.0 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 901 | 35.3% | 48.6% | −13.3 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied tibia and fibula impairment
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established10
- Rated by analogy under DC 52624
- Criteria for service connection met4
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim4
- Caused by the service-connected disability3
- Service connection established2
- Rated by analogy to DC 52622
- Difficulty with prolonged standing/walking2
Most common reasons in denials
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim34
- No current diagnosis33
- Current diagnosis established18
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis16
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service14
- Service records negative or silent7
- Criteria for service connection not met5
- Evidence does not support higher rating under DC 52623
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 tibia and fibula impairment decisions
Granted
New and material evidence submitted; Supports direct service connection; Resolving reasonable doubt in veteran's favor
Instability and pain were predominant symptoms.; DC 5262 (impairment of tibia and fibula) is more appropriate by analogy than DC 5271.; Symptoms more nearly depicted marked disability (30 percent) under DC 5262.
Severance of service connection requires clear and unmistakable error.; September 2020 VA opinion found inadequate for failing to address aggravation and all treatment records.; Conflicting evidence regarding nexus and aggravation means severance burden not met.
Denied
Criteria for initial compensable rating not met
No current diagnosis of a left leg disability.; No service treatment records or post-service treatment records reflecting a left leg disability.; No diagnosis of left leg stress fracture or tibial/fibular impairment.
No evidence of nonunion or approximating symptoms; Evidence did not support higher rating; Existing 30% rating for impairment considered adequate
Rules that apply to tibia and fibula 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 tibia and fibula 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 tibia and fibula 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.