Problems affecting your hands and fingers can make everyday tasks like typing, lifting, and gripping difficult and painful. Veterans may be eligible for VA hand disability ratings for many of these issues, including arthritis, nerve damage, broken bones, and more.
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Understanding how the VA rates hand and finger disabilities can help you know what to expect and ensure you receive the benefits you deserve.
In this article, we discuss common hand and finger conditions and how the VA rates them.
In this article on VA hand disability ratings and finger VA ratings:
Conditions affecting the hands and fingers
Veterans often develop hand and finger conditions due to repetitive physical stress, injuries, equipment use, and wear and tear during service.
Some of the most common issues of the fingers and hands include:
- Trigger finger
- Carpal tunnel
- Arthritis
- Tendonitis
- Nerve damage
- Fractures
VA hand disability ratings are evaluated based on factors like limitation of motion, nerve damage, and functional loss.
VA hand disability ratings
Hand conditions can significantly affect your ability to perform everyday tasks. Below are some common hand conditions among veterans that may be connected to military service.
VA rating for arthritis in the hands
Arthritis affects the cartilage between your joints. Over time, this cartilage breaks down, causing the bones to rub against each other, leading to pain, stiffness, and further joint damage. Because the hand contains many small joints, it’s a common area for arthritis to develop.
The VA uses different diagnostic codes depending on the type of arthritis you’re diagnosed with. For example, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis are rated under diagnostic code 5002 for multi-joint arthritis, while osteoarthritis is evaluated using diagnostic code 5003 for degenerative arthritis.
However, when arthritis causes limitation of motion that warrants a higher rating than those offered by the above diagnostic codes, the VA will rate your symptoms on the basis of limitation of motion instead. The ratings for limitation of motion of the hand and fingers can be found under diagnostic codes 5216-5230. Ratings vary depending on severity, how much of your hands and fingers are involved, and whether your dominant (major) or non-dominant (minor) hand is affected.
It’s also worth noting that because arthritis is a chronic condition, the VA may presume it is service-connected if your symptoms are at least 10% disabling within one year after discharge.
VA rating for nerve damage in hand
If an injury during service caused nerve damage to your hand or fingers, the VA will use diagnostic codes 8515 or 8516 for diseases of the median or ulnar nerve, depending on which nerves are affected and in which hand. The VA rates nerve damage or pain based on loss of function to the affected nerve. Ratings for nerve damage in the fingers and hands range from 10% to 70% depending on location and severity.
Broken hand VA disability
Veterans may break their hand or fingers in a vehicle accident or due to direct impact, falls, or other physical trauma.
The VA rates broken or fractured bones based on the severity of residuals using criteria in the Schedule of Ratings for the musculoskeletal system. Broken hand and finger residuals are rated using diagnostic codes 5216-52303 and are evaluated by determining the severity of factors such as limitation of motion, grip strength loss, and whether your dominant or non-dominant hand is affected.
If more than one finger is affected, the VA will rate each finger separately and then combine the ratings into one overall rating for your hand.
Finger VA ratings
Because finger conditions and injuries can significantly affect hand function, the VA assigns disability ratings based on how much the condition limits the hand’s movement, strength, and overall use.
Finger pain VA rating
Conditions that affect the fingers are evaluated based on two factors:
- Range of motion (ROM): How much the affected joints can move
- Functional loss: How the condition impacts your overall hand use, including weakness, deformity, or limitations caused by deformities
Finger conditions are evaluated using diagnostic codes 5216-5230 in the Schedule of Ratings for the musculoskeletal system. Ratings are determined based on which digit is affected, how many digits are affected, range of motion, functional loss, and whether the condition affects your dominant or non-dominant hand.
Disability ratings for finger pain can range between 0% and 60%. The VA considers a hand to have “loss of use” when it no longer functions any better than if it were amputated and replaced with a prosthetic.
Finger amputations VA ratings
Amputations may be rated using diagnostic codes 5152-5156 for single finger amputations and 5126-5151 for multiple finger amputations. Ratings for single finger amputations range from 10% to 40% depending on which finger is amputated and to what degree. Ratings for multiple finger amputations range from 20% to 70% depending on the fingers amputated and whether they are on the dominant hand.
Trigger finger VA rating
Trigger finger occurs when the tendons in the fingers or thumb swell, resulting in a “locked” finger that’s difficult, or in severe cases, impossible to move. Fingers can get stuck in a straight position, or may be bent toward the palm (resembling pulling an invisible trigger).
Since there is no specific VA rating for trigger finger, the VA will usually rate the condition analogously, or using criteria that most closely matches your symptoms.
In many cases, the VA evaluates trigger finger by comparing your symptoms to carpal tunnel syndrome, using diagnostic code 8515 for paralysis of the median nerve. If your finger becomes locked in place and you’re unable to move it, the VA may interpret that as “complete paralysis” of the affected nerve. This could qualify you for a disability rating of 60% or 70%, depending on whether the condition affects your non-dominant or dominant hand.
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What else can affect your VA hand disability rating?
The VA has certain rules that may affect your hand and finger pain VA ratings. Below, we describe some of these rules so you know what to expect.
The pyramiding rule
The VA’s pyramiding rule prohibits evaluating the same disability under multiple ratings. Most hand and finger conditions share the same or similar symptoms, therefore the VA will only assign one rating if a veteran has more than one hand or finger condition. If you have more than one hand or finger condition but your symptoms are different, you may be able to receive a second rating.
The bilateral factor for hand and finger conditions
If both of your legs, both arms, both hands, or paired skeletal muscles are affected by service-connected conditions, the bilateral factor may help you earn a higher rating.
For example, if you have a hand condition in your left hand and another condition affecting your right arm, you could qualify. Many conditions that cause hand pain and discomfort, like arthritis, can be bilateral, meaning they affect both hands – this could also qualify a veteran for the bilateral factor.
When applying the bilateral factor, the ratings for the disabilities on your right and left sides will be determined and combined as usual. Then, 10% of that combined value is added to your overall rating. Because VA ratings are rounded up or down, the bilateral factor has the potential to bump you up to the next highest disability payment level.
Special monthly compensation for hand conditions
If a veteran’s hand or finger injury leads to the loss of use of one or both hands, special monthly compensation (SMC) could be available. SMC L through O provides additional compensation for veterans who lose or are completely unable to use a body part.
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Frequently asked questions
The finger disability percentage the VA assigns depends on how much your condition limits motion and function. The VA typically gives 0%, 10%, or 20% ratings for finger conditions based on factors like range of motion, pain, ankylosis (stiffness), overall hand function, and whether the condition affects your dominant or non-dominant hand.
Veterans can receive disability ratings for hand issues like arthritis, tendonitis, nerve damage, and other conditions or problems that affect use of the hands or fingers.
Neil Woods
Neil Woods is a VA disability attorney and the owner and president of Woods & Woods. He received his law degree from Western Michigan University.
