Sciatic nerve paralysis secondary to a back condition: Board grants climb since 2018

The Board of Veterans' Appeals granted sciatic or external popliteal nerve paralysis claimed secondary to a back condition in 47.4% of its decisions in 2024 and 2025, up from 27.9% in 2018 and 2019. The grant share rose 19.4 percentage points, and in 2026 so far it stands at 62.9%.

The figures come from 2,448 Board decisions from 2017 to 2026 that decided this nerve condition as secondary to a back disability under 38 CFR 3.310. Across all years, the Board granted 38.6%, remanded 45.5% and denied 16.2%. That grant share sits 15.6 percentage points above the 23.0% rate for all sciatic and external popliteal nerve decisions, direct and secondary combined.

Share of decisions each year. 2026 is a partial year.

Remands gave way to grants

Remands made up 54.1% of decisions in 2018 and 2019 and 39.9% in 2024 and 2025. In 2026 so far, the remand share is 23.9%, though that year is incomplete.

The climb in grants was gradual rather than sudden: 16.9% in 2017, 33.5% in 2021, 37.7% in 2023 and 52.8% in 2025.

When the Board reached the merits instead of remanding, it granted 60.6% of claims in 2018 and 2019 and 77.2% in 2024 and 2025. Across all years, the merits grant rate is 70.5%. Denials were never the most common outcome. The data does not show why remands declined or why merits grants grew.

Medical opinions track with grants

The largest gap in the evidence data involves nexus opinions. The Board granted the claim on the merits in 92.3% of decisions with a positive nexus opinion in the record, and in 56.2% of those without one.

A favorable VA exam showed a similar pattern: 89.2% with one, 64.3% without. A treating physician opinion was associated with a merits grant rate of 86.9%, against 68.7% without. For private medical opinions, the rates were 77.7% and 62.0%.

In the recordNot in the record

Positive nexus opinion

92.3%

56.2%

Favorable VA exam

89.2%

64.3%

Treating physician opinion

86.9%

68.7%

Private medical opinion

77.7%

62.0%

Merits decisions only (granted or denied). Associations, not causes.

Negative evidence did not close the door. Records with a negative nexus opinion were still granted on the merits 68.2% of the time, compared with 73.8% without one. Lay statements showed a slightly lower rate when present, 69.6%, than when absent, 76.1%.

These are associations, not causes. A record with a strong medical opinion is often stronger in other ways, and the data does not show which piece of evidence the Board relied on most.

What the decisions say

In grants, the most common reason extracted from the decisions was "caused by the service-connected disability," cited in 360 grants. "Current diagnosis established" appeared in 128, and "service connection established" in 66.

The Board applied the benefit of the doubt under 38 CFR 3.102 in 70.4% of grants, which suggests many of these records were close calls.

In denials, the leading reason was "no current diagnosis," cited in 43 decisions. Next came "no in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis" in 25 and a VA examiner's finding of "less likely than not related to service" in 24. The second reason reads as a direct service connection analysis, a reminder that some denials address theories other than the secondary link to the back.

Read the decisions

Recent examples, with the Board's reasons as summarized by AI:

• A26040468, granted in 2026: secondary to service-connected lumbar spine disability.
• A26040500, granted in 2026: service-connected low back disability established.
• A26040926, granted in 2026: secondary service connection established.
• A26041005, denied in 2026: primary condition (lumbar spine) not service-connected.
• A26038152, denied in 2026: no current diagnosis of bilateral lower extremity sciatica.
• 26004679, denied in 2026: primary lumbar spine condition not service-connected.

For representatives

• "No current diagnosis" is the most frequent denial reason. Confirm the record documents the nerve condition itself, not only back pain.
• A positive nexus opinion is associated with a merits grant rate of 92.3%, against 56.2% without. An opinion that links the nerve condition to the service-connected back, and addresses aggravation under 38 CFR 3.310, fits the Board's most cited grant reason.
• With the benefit of the doubt applied in 70.4% of grants, a favorable opinion that brings the evidence into balance can matter even when a negative opinion is in the file.