Secondary service connection
Radiculopathy secondary to a back condition: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided radiculopathy claimed as secondary to a back condition in 1,187 decisions. It granted the issue in 49.6% of them, above the 28.0% grant rate for all radiculopathy issues, denied it in 16.0%, and remanded it in 34.5%. Counting only decisions on the merits, 75.6% were granted.
Decisions
1,187
2017–2026
Granted
49.6%
All radiculopathy: 28.0%
Granted on the merits
75.6%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
34.5%
Denied: 16.0%
See all radiculopathy decisions, direct and secondary.
Radiculopathy secondary to a back condition: outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 26 | 26.9% | 26.9% | 46.2% | 0.0% |
| 2018 | 60 | 25.0% | 23.3% | 48.3% | 3.3% |
| 2019 | 120 | 29.2% | 21.7% | 49.2% | 0.0% |
| 2020 | 168 | 41.7% | 21.4% | 35.7% | 1.2% |
| 2021 | 172 | 43.0% | 13.4% | 43.0% | 0.6% |
| 2022 | 186 | 45.7% | 12.9% | 40.3% | 1.1% |
| 2023 | 214 | 50.9% | 16.8% | 31.8% | 0.5% |
| 2024 | 277 | 53.4% | 14.1% | 30.7% | 1.8% |
| 2025 | 337 | 58.8% | 14.5% | 25.8% | 0.9% |
| 2026 | 149 | 83.2% | 6.0% | 10.7% | 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 Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome.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 20 issues are left out.
Evidence in granted and denied radiculopathy decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the radiculopathy 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 | 390 | 89.1% | 65.7% | +23.4 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 75 | 94.5% | 74.2% | +20.4 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 560 | 81.3% | 68.2% | +13.1 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 232 | 84.0% | 72.9% | +11.1 pts |
| Combat service | 67 | 83.3% | 75.0% | +8.4 pts |
| Buddy statement | 53 | 82.1% | 75.3% | +6.8 pts |
| Lay statement | 1,030 | 74.7% | 82.4% | −7.7 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 73.9% of the decisions that granted radiculopathy.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 38.7% 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 radiculopathy 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 | 665 | 70.9% | 82.7% | −11.8 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 1,012 | 73.9% | 88.0% | −14.1 pts |
How these claims are argued
A secondary claim says a back condition caused radiculopathy or made it worse, and names how. Below: whether the Board's decision discussed aggravation, and the medical link each decision names, with how often those issues were granted.
Aggravation discussed
made worse by the disability, 3.310(b)
20.6%
granted, of 131 issues (7.7% of all)
Causation only
caused by the disability, 3.310(a)
53.1%
granted, of 1,578 issues (92.3% of all)
| Medical link named | Issues | Granted |
|---|---|---|
Chronic pain Granted “VA examiner opined at least as likely as not that radiculopathy is proximately due to low back pain.” A26039375 (2026) | 15 | 93.3% |
Based on words in the AI-written summary and reasons for each issue, not a reading of the full decision. 1.3% of the 1,709 issues name at least one medical link; the rest only say “secondary to” the disability. One issue can name several links. Granted is the share of those issues granted (remands count as not granted). A link named in a denial was often the argument the Board rejected.
Why the Board granted or denied radiculopathy
Most common reasons in grants
- Caused by the service-connected disability238
- Current diagnosis established85
- Service connection established43
- Criteria for service connection met9
- Secondary service connection criteria met9
- Criteria for secondary service connection met8
- Secondary service connection warranted6
- Service connection granted5
Most common reasons in denials
- No current diagnosis21
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis19
- Current diagnosis established12
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service10
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim8
- Caused by the service-connected disability6
- Service records negative or silent5
- Aggravated by the service-connected disability4
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 radiculopathy decisions
Granted
Service connection for low back disability established by AOJ; VA examination found radiculopathy related to low back disability; Secondary service connection criteria met
Current diagnosis of LLE radiculopathy; Evidence in relative equipoise; Resolving doubt in veteran's favor; Lumbosacral strain identified as likely cause
Diagnosed together with back condition; Consistent treatment history with back symptoms; Benefit of doubt resolved in veteran's favor
Denied
No current radiculopathy diagnosed; Evidence supports neuropathy, not radiculopathy; EMG study did not find radiculopathy
Service treatment records negative for radiculopathy symptoms.; First complaints of radiculopathy symptoms occurred many years after service.; Veteran's reports of in-service injury causing radiculopathy were found not credible.
No current diagnosis of right upper extremity radiculopathy during appeal period; Service treatment records negative for radiculopathy complaints; Private and VA examinations did not diagnose right upper extremity radiculopathy
What VA needs to grant a secondary claim
Secondary service connection means VA disability benefits for a condition caused or made worse by a disability that is already service connected (38 CFR 3.310). The claim needs three things:
- A current diagnosis of radiculopathy.
- A back condition is already service connected.
- Medical evidence linking them (a nexus opinion): radiculopathy was caused by a back condition (3.310(a)), or was made worse beyond its natural progress by it (aggravation, 3.310(b)).
VA's procedures for these claims are in M21-1 V.ii.2.D. When the evidence for and against is about even, VA must decide in the veteran's favor (38 CFR 3.102).
Other conditions secondary to a back condition
- Paralysis of sciatic nerve secondary to a back condition325 decisions · 57.8% granted
- Major depressive disorder secondary to a back condition770 decisions · 47.4% granted
- Paralysis of sciatic nerve or external popliteal nerve secondary to a back condition2,436 decisions · 38.7% granted
- Sleep apnea secondary to a back condition1,166 decisions · 38.2% granted
- Ulnar nerve paralysis secondary to a back condition628 decisions · 34.6% granted
- Peripheral nerve conditions secondary to a back condition307 decisions · 32.2% granted
- Peripheral nerve disorders secondary to a back condition1,204 decisions · 27.8% granted
- Erectile dysfunction secondary to a back condition619 decisions · 27.6% granted
- Degenerative arthritis of the spine secondary to a back condition679 decisions · 23.7% granted
- Urinary incontinence secondary to a back condition408 decisions · 22.8% granted
- Hypertension secondary to a back condition330 decisions · 20.0% granted
- Migraine secondary to a back condition347 decisions · 18.7% granted
- Hip impairment secondary to a back condition1,856 decisions · 13.6% granted
- Knee conditions secondary to a back condition2,083 decisions · 12.3% granted
- Ankle impairment secondary to a back condition322 decisions · 11.2% granted
- Cervical spine limitation of motion secondary to a back condition1,553 decisions · 8.8% granted
- Shoulder impairment secondary to a back condition647 decisions · 7.3% granted
- Foot impairment secondary to a back condition354 decisions · 6.2% granted
See all conditions secondary to a back condition.
Rules that apply to secondary radiculopathy claims
- 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - M21-1 V.ii.2.D
Secondary service connection and aggravation of non-service-connected disabilities
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your radiculopathy case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Counts decisions in which the Board decided a radiculopathy issue claimed as secondary to a back condition, by the outcome of that issue.
- The primary disability is read from the decision text ("secondary to …") and grouped by name, so spellings such as "PTSD" and "posttraumatic stress disorder" count together.
- Secondary claims also include aggravation of a non-service-connected condition by a service-connected one (38 CFR 3.310(b)).
- 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.