Four fingers on one hand are locked in a position that allows some hand function.
To support a rating under this code, medical evidence needs to show that four fingers of one hand have ankylosis that meets the favorable standard. Examination records documenting which specific joints are fixed and in what position are central. A measurement showing the gap between your fingertip and the proximal transverse crease of your palm — two inches or less when flexed as far as possible — is what separates favorable from unfavorable ankylosis, so that measurement should appear in your records.
Imaging such as X-rays can confirm the presence and position of joint fixation. Records should also identify which hand is affected so VA can apply the correct major or minor rating. Statements from you or people who know you describing how stiffness in four fingers limits tasks such as gripping, writing, or carrying objects at work or at home can help show the real-world impact of the condition, though the rating itself turns on the clinical findings above.
Conditions that are often caused or made worse by this one. If you have any of these, they may be claimable as secondary service connection.
