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Denied

The Veteran's left ring finger amputation was evaluated and found to be manifested by pain, calluses, and an amputation at the level of the proximal third of the middle phalanx. The Board determined that this did not meet the criteria for a 20% rating due to lack of metacarpal resection or more than half of the bone removed.

The deciding factor: The Veteran's left ring finger amputation was rated under Diagnostic Code 5155, which requires metacarpal resection (more than one-half the bone lost) for a 20% rating. The VA examiner found no evidence of such in the Veteran's case.

Claimed conditions
status-post traumatic amputation of the 4th digit on the left hand at the level of the proximal third of the middle phalanx
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
10%
Decision date
November 6, 2017
Citation
1750334

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 1750334.

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