The middle finger is stiff or locked in place, limiting its ability to move.
Medical records and VA examination findings are central to supporting a rating under this code. An examiner's measurement of exactly which joint or joints are fixed — the metacarpophalangeal, proximal interphalangeal, or distal interphalangeal — and the degree of flexion at which each is locked will determine whether the ankylosis is favorable or unfavorable. A recorded gap measurement between your fingertip and the proximal transverse crease of your palm, taken while you flex the finger as far as possible, directly maps to the regulatory cutoff of two inches: more than two inches supports unfavorable ankylosis, two inches or less supports favorable ankylosis.
If both joints are ankylosed, documentation showing the fixed position of each is important because the regulation treats dual-joint ankylosis as unfavorable regardless of each joint's individual position. Statements from you or people who know you describing how the stiffness limits gripping, typing, or other daily tasks can support a claim that surrounding fingers or overall hand function are also affected, which the regulation says VA must separately consider.
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.
