The veteran's claim for service connection was denied in January 1990. The RO reopened the claim and granted service connection for ankylosing spondylitis of the lumbar spine, thoracic spin, and cervical spine on May 21, 2001. The effective date is set by law to be May 21, 2001.
The deciding factor: The claim was denied in January 1990, but reopened and granted service connection for the conditions on May 21, 2001, which is the earliest date that the veteran's request to reopen his claim was received.
- Claimed conditions
- ankylosing spondylitis of the lumbar spine, ankylosing spondylitis of the thoracic spin, ankylosing spondylitis of the cervical spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 9, 2006
- Citation
- 0600458
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for ankylosing spondylitis of the lumbar spine and disorders of the bilateral feet, knees, hips, shoulders, and ankles are granted. Additionally, his claim for iritis as secondary to service-connected ankylosing spondylitis is also granted.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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