Amputation of the thumb and index finger on one hand.
To support a rating under this code, medical records should document the anatomical loss of both the thumb and index finger on the affected hand. Surgical or operative reports, amputation records, and treating physician notes can establish the fact of loss and confirm which hand is involved — major (dominant) or minor (nondominant). A VA or private examination that identifies the hand as dominant or nondominant is important because that distinction determines which percentage applies.
If the condition involves ankylosis or limited motion rather than outright amputation, examination findings should measure the gap between the thumb pad and fingers, or between the fingertips and the proximal transverse crease of the palm, when flexed to the extent possible. Records showing whether joints are fixed in favorable or unfavorable positions, or whether rotation or angulation of bone is present, help VA apply the correct evaluation level.
Statements from you or people who know you describing how the loss affects gripping, lifting, or daily tasks can support the overall picture of disability, though the rating itself turns on the anatomical findings.
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.
