The Board has determined that the veteran's currently demonstrated disability of ankylosing spondylitis and generalized spinal arthritis is due to disease or injury incurred in service, granting service connection for these conditions.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows a history of back problems since service, including treatment for ankylosing spondylitis and related arthritis. While the exact cause was not definitively established, the Board found that the veteran's symptoms are more likely than not attributable to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- ankylosing spondylitis, generalized arthritis of the spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 18, 2002
- Citation
- 0218396
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 0218396.
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.
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