The Board granted service connection for ankylosing spondylitis, finding that the Veteran's back disability is etiologically related to active service.
The deciding factor: The private medical opinion provided in September 2021 was found to be more probative and persuasive than the August 2020 VA examiner's negative nexus opinion, as it accounted for the Veteran's complaints of back pain shortly after service and considered whether his symptoms represented early manifestations of ankylosing spondylitis.
- Claimed conditions
- ankylosing spondylitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- April 25, 2025
- Citation
- A25038195
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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