The Board has denied a compensable rating for the Veteran's left ring finger disability, finding that there is no evidence of ankylosis and that the existing diagnostic codes do not provide for compensable ratings given the Veteran's symptoms.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding of ankylosis of the left ring finger, which would allow for a higher rating under DC 5227. The applicable diagnostic code (DC 5230) does not provide for compensable ratings even when symptoms such as pain and limited range of motion are present.
- Claimed conditions
- Left ring finger disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 15, 2023
- Citation
- 23009717
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 23009717.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's hair loss and some other conditions are granted service connection, while the right hand disability is denied. The Veteran also has a new rating for his low back condition.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, right knee, right hand, left knee, right ankle, and residuals of a traumatic brain injury due to untimely appeals or lack of evidence supporting current disability.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for all the claimed conditions as there was no evidence of a current disability in accordance with VA standards.
- Partly granted
The Board granted initial ratings for the Veteran's right thumb, index finger, and long finger disabilities, as well as a separate rating for his left thumb disability. The claims for increased ratings for the right ring and little fingers, and left ring and little fingers were denied.
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