Secondary service connection
Degenerative arthritis of the spine secondary to flat feet: 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 flat feet in 419 decisions. It granted the issue in 23.4% of them, above the 21.2% grant rate for all degenerative arthritis of the spine issues, denied it in 22.4%, and remanded it in 53.0%. Counting only decisions on the merits, 51.0% were granted.
Decisions
419
2017–2026
Granted
23.4%
All degenerative arthritis of the spine: 21.2%
Granted on the merits
51.0%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
53.0%
Denied: 22.4%
See all degenerative arthritis of the spine decisions, direct and secondary.
Degenerative arthritis of the spine secondary to flat feet: outcomes by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 33 | 9.1% | 45.5% | 36.4% |
| 2018 | 38 | 15.8% | 31.6% | 52.6% |
| 2019 | 53 | 26.4% | 24.5% | 47.2% |
| 2020 | 58 | 19.0% | 25.9% | 55.2% |
| 2021 | 43 | 18.6% | 14.0% | 67.4% |
| 2022 | 43 | 25.6% | 20.9% | 53.5% |
| 2023 | 51 | 27.5% | 15.7% | 56.9% |
| 2024 | 43 | 30.2% | 16.3% | 53.5% |
| 2025 | 42 | 33.3% | 19.0% | 45.2% |
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 | 130 | 82.2% | 23.5% | +58.7 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 181 | 66.1% | 31.3% | +34.7 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 59 | 70.3% | 46.5% | +23.8 pts |
| Lay statement | 339 | 43.8% | 87.5% | −43.8 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 81.6% of the decisions that granted degenerative arthritis of the spine.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 20.4% of grants and 6.4% 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 | 357 | 48.6% | 73.7% | −25.1 pts |
| Negative nexus opinion | 322 | 47.0% | 75.0% | −28.0 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied degenerative arthritis of the spine
Most common reasons in grants
- Caused by the service-connected disability17
- Current diagnosis established14
- Service connection established12
- Aggravated by the service-connected disability3
- Medical literature supports correlation between pes planus and low back pain2
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service2
- Evidence persuasively favors secondary connection2
Most common reasons in denials
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis29
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service24
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim11
- Service records negative or silent7
- No continuity of symptomatology6
- Aggravated by the service-connected disability4
- Current diagnosis established3
- Claimed secondary to pes planus, which was denied1
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
Grant based on Veteran's lay statements and private medical opinion; Resolving reasonable doubt in Veteran's favor; VA opinions found inadequate for failing to consider all evidence
Current diagnosis of lumbar degenerative arthritis of the spine, spinal fusion, spinal stenosis, and DDD established.; Service-connected pes planus established.; Treating neurosurgeon's opinion linked foot condition to worsening back problems.; VA examiner's negative opinion for secondary connection used incorrect causation standard.; Benefit of the doubt applied due to approximate balance of evidence.
Dr. M.T. found back condition as likely as not related to service-connected pes planus and shin splints.; Functional limitations found to constitute disabling impairment.; Veteran entered service without back issues.
Denied
August 2020 VA examination found lumbar disability less likely than not related to service or service-connected conditions.; Lack of supporting medical evidence and normal aging process cited.; Service treatment records showed only an isolated sciatica complaint with no further lumbar issues noted.
No evidence of in-service event, injury, or disease for low back.; Service records silent regarding low back condition.; Pes planus not service-connected, thus secondary claim denied.
No in-service injury or illness related to the back.; Contemporaneous service records indicated no back pain.; Veteran's later statements about pain onset were inconsistent.; No credible medical evidence linking pes planus to lumbar condition.; VA examination found no gait impairment or marked deformity.
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
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 degenerative arthritis of the spine issue claimed as secondary to flat feet, 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.