The Veteran is seeking an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for fusion of the right fifth finger. The case has been remanded to determine if her condition meets the criteria for amputation.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide a clear opinion regarding whether the Veteran's right fifth finger disability meets the criteria for amputation (i.e., metacarpal resection with more than one-half of bone lost, or without metacarpal resection at the proximal interphalangeal joint).
- Claimed conditions
- fusion of right fifth finger
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 4, 2010
- Citation
- 1000384
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 1000384.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Remanded (sent back)
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- Granted
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- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for special monthly compensation based on loss of use of his left foot, as there was no evidence showing that the service-connected conditions resulted in functional limitation equal to that of amputation of the left foot with prosthesis.
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