Secondary service connection
Degenerative arthritis of the spine secondary to a back condition: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided degenerative arthritis of the spine claimed as secondary to a back condition in 705 decisions. It granted the issue in 23.3% of them, above the 21.2% grant rate for all degenerative arthritis of the spine issues, denied it in 25.1%, and remanded it in 50.4%. Counting only decisions on the merits, 48.1% were granted.
Decisions
705
2017–2026
Granted
23.3%
All degenerative arthritis of the spine: 21.2%
Granted on the merits
48.1%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
50.4%
Denied: 25.1%
See all degenerative arthritis of the spine decisions, direct and secondary.
Degenerative arthritis of the spine secondary to a back condition: outcomes by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 41 | 9.8% | 41.5% | 46.3% |
| 2018 | 77 | 16.9% | 35.1% | 44.2% |
| 2019 | 75 | 22.7% | 28.0% | 48.0% |
| 2020 | 94 | 14.9% | 38.3% | 45.7% |
| 2021 | 97 | 26.8% | 26.8% | 45.4% |
| 2022 | 84 | 27.4% | 23.8% | 47.6% |
| 2023 | 78 | 16.7% | 17.9% | 64.1% |
| 2024 | 58 | 31.0% | 8.6% | 60.3% |
| 2025 | 74 | 33.8% | 10.8% | 55.4% |
| 2026 | 27 | 40.7% | 11.1% | 48.1% |
Evidence in granted and denied degenerative arthritis of the spine decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the degenerative arthritis of the spine 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 | 179 | 88.7% | 22.1% | +66.6 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 97 | 80.3% | 38.9% | +41.4 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 283 | 63.7% | 30.9% | +32.8 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 44 | 69.0% | 46.2% | +22.8 pts |
| Lay statement | 572 | 44.6% | 72.1% | −27.5 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 82.9% of the decisions that granted degenerative arthritis of the spine.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 31.7% of grants and 8.5% 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 degenerative arthritis of the spine 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unfavorable VA exam | 596 | 47.5% | 55.6% | −8.1 pts |
| Negative nexus opinion | 512 | 44.4% | 64.5% | −20.1 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied degenerative arthritis of the spine
Most common reasons in grants
- Caused by the service-connected disability25
- Current diagnosis established12
- Service connection established7
- Aggravated by the service-connected disability6
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service5
- Continuity of symptomatology since service5
- Service records negative or silent2
- Resolving all doubt in veteran's favor2
Most common reasons in denials
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service41
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis35
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim26
- Service records negative or silent22
- Aggravated by the service-connected disability14
- Continuity of symptomatology since service9
- No continuity of symptomatology6
- Caused by the service-connected disability3
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 degenerative arthritis of the spine decisions
Granted
Evidence in equipoise regarding secondary nexus; Benefit of the doubt applied; Private opinion found cervical and lumbar spine disabilities related
Private opinion provided plausible explanation for secondary nexus; Benefit of the doubt applied due to conflicting opinions
Private physician opinion found persuasive; Opinion provided detailed rationale linking conditions; Resolving reasonable doubt in Veteran's favor
Denied
No service treatment records for neck complaints; VA examiner opinion: less likely than not related to service-connected back; Private records indicate ATV accident etiology, more credible than VA statements
Service treatment records were negative for cervical spine complaints.; Discharge examination found spine normal; first objective evidence of arthritis over 20 years post-service.; VA opinions found condition less likely than not related to service or aggravated by service-connected conditions.; Lay testimony regarding in-service football injury insufficient to establish nexus due to time gap and lack of in-service complaints.
Manifestation of service-connected lumbar spine condition; No independent thoracic spine condition shown
Rules that apply to secondary degenerative arthritis of the spine 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 - 38 CFR 4.71a · DC 5242
Schedule of ratings: musculoskeletal system
Read it in VA Law Explorer - M21-1 V.iii.1.B.3
Spine: evaluating manifestations of spine diseases and injuries
Read it in VA Law Explorer - M21-1 V.iii.1.C
Arthritis: degenerative arthritis and separately compensable joints
Read it in VA Law Explorer - M21-1 V.iii.1.A
Painful motion and functional loss (38 CFR 4.59, DeLuca, Mitchell, Correia)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your degenerative arthritis of the spine case
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How these numbers are calculated
- Counts decisions in which the Board decided a degenerative arthritis of the spine 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.