The Board has determined that the veteran's current back disability, diagnosed as ankylosing spondylitis, is related to his period of service and grants service connection for a chronic acquired back disorder.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence supports the conclusion that the veteran's current back disability is due to degenerative joint disease and not related to any injury or trauma during service.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic acquired back disorder, ankylosing spondylitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 25, 2002
- Citation
- 0216999
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0216999.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of a 70 percent rating for PTSD and granted an effective date of May 31, 2004, but no earlier, for the award of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU).
- Dismissed
The appeal is dismissed as the Veteran did not express disagreement with any issue decided by the AOJ within the prior year.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for ankylosing spondylitis, finding that the evidence was at least in approximate balance as to whether the Veteran's condition had its onset during his active military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for ankylosing spondylitis, finding that the evidence does not support a link between the condition and his military service.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.