Secondary service connection
Thoracolumbar or lumbar spine limitation of motion secondary to a knee condition: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided thoracolumbar or lumbar spine limitation of motion claimed as secondary to a knee condition in 637 decisions. It granted the issue in 8.6% of them, close to the 9.1% grant rate for all thoracolumbar or lumbar spine limitation of motion issues, denied it in 13.5%, and remanded it in 77.2%. Counting only decisions on the merits, 39.0% were granted.
Decisions
637
2017–2026
Granted
8.6%
All thoracolumbar or lumbar spine limitation of motion: 9.1%
Granted on the merits
39.0%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
77.2%
Denied: 13.5%
See all thoracolumbar or lumbar spine limitation of motion decisions, direct and secondary.
Thoracolumbar or lumbar spine limitation of motion secondary to a knee condition: outcomes by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 42 | 0.0% | 16.7% | 81.0% |
| 2018 | 76 | 6.6% | 22.4% | 69.7% |
| 2019 | 83 | 8.4% | 12.0% | 79.5% |
| 2020 | 95 | 3.2% | 8.4% | 87.4% |
| 2021 | 76 | 6.6% | 17.1% | 76.3% |
| 2022 | 77 | 7.8% | 11.7% | 79.2% |
| 2023 | 75 | 9.3% | 13.3% | 77.3% |
| 2024 | 58 | 17.2% | 3.4% | 79.3% |
| 2025 | 42 | 21.4% | 16.7% | 61.9% |
Evidence in granted and denied thoracolumbar or lumbar spine limitation of motion decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the thoracolumbar or lumbar spine limitation of motion 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 | 101 | 79.1% | 21.4% | +57.6 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 227 | 66.2% | 13.7% | +52.5 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 42 | 57.1% | 37.0% | +20.1 pts |
| Lay statement | 530 | 35.1% | 55.6% | −20.5 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 80.0% of the decisions that granted thoracolumbar or lumbar spine limitation of motion.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 27.3% of grants and 10.5% 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 thoracolumbar or lumbar spine limitation of motion 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 | 415 | 38.3% | 41.2% | −2.9 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 488 | 38.3% | 42.3% | −4.0 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied thoracolumbar or lumbar spine limitation of motion
Most common reasons in grants
- Caused by the service-connected disability11
- Current diagnosis established4
- Service connection established4
- New and material evidence received to reopen claim2
Most common reasons in denials
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis10
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim8
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service8
- Aggravated by the service-connected disability8
- No current diagnosis6
- Caused by the service-connected disability4
- No continuity of symptomatology3
- Service records negative or silent3
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 thoracolumbar or lumbar spine limitation of motion decisions
Granted
Criteria for service connection met; Worsened by service-connected right knee strain
Evidence in approximate balance regarding secondary causation; Benefit of the doubt applied in favor of the veteran
Secondary service connection granted; Private opinion links low back condition to altered gait from knee disability; VA examiner did not adequately address secondary nexus or lay statements; Board found private opinion more probative
Denied
Favorable finding of current lumbar spine disability by AOJ; Favorable finding of service-connected primary disability (knees) by AOJ; VA examiner opined less likely than not related to service-connected condition; Lack of sufficient medical literature supporting connection; Veteran's lay testimony regarding nexus lacked probative value
No current diagnosis of low back condition found on VA exam; No functional impairment to earning capacity noted; Lack of objective evidence or treatment records supporting diagnosis
STRs silent for back complaints/treatment; Separation exam normal; VA examiners concluded not incurred in service; No nexus for secondary claim to right knee disability
Rules that apply to secondary thoracolumbar or lumbar spine limitation of motion 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 thoracolumbar or lumbar spine limitation of motion case
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How these numbers are calculated
- Counts decisions in which the Board decided a thoracolumbar or lumbar spine limitation of motion issue claimed as secondary to a knee 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.