The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected right thumb disability does not warrant a compensable evaluation under either the prior or amended rating criteria.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not show ankylosis, limitation of motion, or interference with overall function of the hand. The gap between the thumb pad and fingers was less than one inch, meeting the noncompensable criteria for Diagnostic Code 5228.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Thumb Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 30, 2006
- Citation
- 0619354
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 0619354.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for PTSD, right thumb disability, and right thumb scar but granted a 10% rating for the painful right thumb scar. The claims for increased initial ratings for bilateral wrist DeQuervain's syndrome and tendinitis were remanded.
- Denied
The Veteran's right thumb disability was previously rated at noncompensable (0%) and later granted a 10% rating effective February 10, 2018. The claim for an increased rating prior to June 20, 2023 is denied.,The Veteran's right thumb disability has been rated at 20% since June 20, 2023. The claim for an increased rating from that date forward is denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, and a TDIU was granted from July 29, 2009 until April 2016. The rating for PTSD remains unchanged since the effective date of his increased rating claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional medical examinations are needed to determine the nature and etiology of any right shoulder, right wrist, right thumb, or right finger (including right ring finger) disabilities. The Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disabilities may also be considered in relation to his left hip disability.
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