Ankylosing Spondylitis

DC 5009Musculoskeletal38 CFR 4.71a, DC 5009

A type of inflammatory arthritis that mainly affects your spine, causing the vertebrae to fuse together over time. This can make your back stiff and hunched. The VA rates ankylosing spondylitis as an active process or based on residual limitation of motion.

How the VA rates this condition

The VA rates this condition based on how much it affects your ability to work and carry out daily activities. The examiner will focus on the functional limitations your condition causes, not just the diagnosis itself.

Diagnostic code

DC 5009

Rating range

20% – 100%

Rating levels

Rating criteria are defined in 38 CFR 4.71a, DC 5009. This guide presents a plain-language summary and is not a substitute for the full regulatory text. Always consult a VSO or VA-accredited attorney for case-specific advice.

Rating Levels

Your ankylosing spondylitis causes constitutional manifestations associated with active joint involvement that are totally incapacitating.

What the VA looks for

Totally incapacitating constitutional symptoms
Active joint involvement in multiple areas
Complete or near-complete spinal ankylosis
Inability to perform activities of daily living
Systemic complications (uveitis, cardiac, pulmonary)

Common Pitfalls

⚠Not getting tested for the HLA-B27 gene marker — this is a key diagnostic tool for ankylosing spondylitis and helps establish the diagnosis for VA purposes.
⚠Not documenting flare-ups with medical visits — the rating levels depend on the number and severity of exacerbations per year, so each flare-up needs to be recorded in your medical records.
⚠Failing to document extra-articular manifestations — ankylosing spondylitis can affect your eyes (uveitis), heart, and lungs, and each may support additional secondary service-connected claims.
⚠Not requesting imaging of the sacroiliac joints — early sacroiliitis is often the first radiographic sign and is essential for diagnosis.

Related DBQ Forms

DBQ Back (Thoracolumbar Spine) Conditions

View evidence checklist →See secondary conditions →

Condition Rating Guides

Understand what the VA looks for at each rating level — loading conditions…

Ankylosing Spondylitis

How the VA rates this condition

Diagnostic code

DC 5009

Rating range

20% – 100%

Rating levels

Rating Levels

Your ankylosing spondylitis causes constitutional manifestations associated with active joint involvement that are totally incapacitating.

What the VA looks for

Totally incapacitating constitutional symptoms
Active joint involvement in multiple areas
Complete or near-complete spinal ankylosis
Inability to perform activities of daily living
Systemic complications (uveitis, cardiac, pulmonary)

Common Pitfalls

⚠Not getting tested for the HLA-B27 gene marker — this is a key diagnostic tool for ankylosing spondylitis and helps establish the diagnosis for VA purposes.

⚠Not documenting flare-ups with medical visits — the rating levels depend on the number and severity of exacerbations per year, so each flare-up needs to be recorded in your medical records.

⚠Failing to document extra-articular manifestations — ankylosing spondylitis can affect your eyes (uveitis), heart, and lungs, and each may support additional secondary service-connected claims.

⚠Not requesting imaging of the sacroiliac joints — early sacroiliitis is often the first radiographic sign and is essential for diagnosis.