The veteran's service-connected residuals of a fracture of the right ring finger, with post-traumatic arthritis and limitation of motion of ring and little finger have not met the criteria for an increased rating beyond the current 10 percent evaluation.
The deciding factor: The clinical findings do not support a higher evaluation as there is no evidence of unfavorable ankylosis or extremely unfavorable ankylosis, which would warrant a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5219. The veteran's disability is rated based on limitation of motion and pain, with the current 10 percent evaluation reflecting this functional impairment.
- Claimed conditions
- fracture of the right ring finger, post-traumatic arthritis, limitation of motion of ring and little fingers
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- February 13, 2006
- Citation
- 0604131
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 3,038 · 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 0604131.
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 Board has granted an initial 20 percent rating for the Veteran's left knee medial meniscal tear with residual post-traumatic arthritis, but denied any higher ratings. The decision is based on the evidence showing some limitation of motion and pain during flare-ups.
- Granted
The Veteran's initial claim for a higher evaluation of his bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis and post-traumatic arthritis was granted, effective June 2, 2019. The rating assigned is now 50 percent. An earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea has been dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's right shoulder disability, including rotator cuff tendonitis, labral tear, post-traumatic arthritis, subscapularis tendinosis, and adhesive capsulitis, was rated at 40 percent effective February 21, 2024. The issue of a TDIU is remanded.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased PTSD rating, SMC based on housebound status, and TDIU are all denied. The effective date of the 100% disability rating for PTSD is set at November 25, 2019.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.