The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected right thumb and left great toe disabilities do not warrant a rating in excess of the currently assigned ratings under either the old or new rating criteria.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a finding of ankylosis, which would be required for higher ratings under Diagnostic Codes 5224 or 7801. The veteran's disability is primarily manifested by painful sensation and hypersensitivity, which are adequately addressed by the current rating criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Thumb Injury, Fractured Left Great Toe
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- February 4, 2004
- Citation
- 0403217
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,613 · Granted: 30% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0403217.
What this means for you
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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 claim of service connection for right thumb injury, finding that there is no evidence to support a nexus between his current numbness and an in-service injury.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected right thumb injury, finding that the most probative evidence shows symptoms of limited motion with a gap between the thumb and fingers of one to two inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm).
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected conditions require the regular aid and attendance of another person, leading to a grant of special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's petition to reopen the claim for service connection for a right thumb injury is granted. The claims of service connection for back injuries are remanded due to outstanding VA treatment records and need for further examination.
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