The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for degenerative arthritis of the right thumb, effective December 16, 2024.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms more nearly approximated limitation of motion with a gap of more than two inches (5.1 cm) between the thumb pad and fingers during flare-ups, as required by diagnostic code 5228 for a 20 percent rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the right thumb
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- April 29, 2025
- Citation
- 25005811
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,316 · Granted: 43% (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 25005811.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's right hand disorder, which was denied due to lack of evidence. The claim will be remanded for this purpose.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial 20 percent disability rating for degenerative arthritis of the right thumb, effective from December 16, 2024.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected right thumb disability is remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the severity of the disability and its functional loss.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis in both the left and right thumb, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his active-duty military service.
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.