The Board granted an initial 20 percent disability rating for degenerative arthritis of the right thumb, effective from December 16, 2024.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms more nearly approximated a gap of more than two inches (5.1 cm) between the thumb pad and fingers during flare-ups, warranting a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5228.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the right thumb
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- October 16, 2025
- Citation
- 25012950
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 25012950.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for degenerative arthritis of the right thumb, effective 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.
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