The Board denied service connection for ankylosing spondylitis and related disabilities, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not linked to his in-service fall.
The deciding factor: Service treatment records do not support the Veteran’s assertion of continuity of symptoms from his April 1985 in-service fall, and the medical evidence does not establish a direct link between service and these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- ankylosing spondylitis, neck condition and arthritis with body pain, aches, and stiffness, bilateral hip disability, pelvic disability, bilateral shoulder disability, bilateral leg disability, bilateral foot disability, disability manifested by atypical chest pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 31, 2018
- Citation
- 18131104
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 18131104.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disability and increased ratings for her bilateral knee disabilities, finding no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for a neurological examination to determine if any diagnosed radiculopathy or other neurological disability affecting the lower extremities was caused or aggravated by service-connected conditions.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral foot disability is related to his active military service and grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for a new examination to address the Veteran's lay statements regarding her symptoms during service.
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