YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger under diagnostic code 5227, in 38 CFR § 4.71a (musculoskeletal system), and the schedule provides a single evaluation under it: 0%.
Free · No account needed
Save your Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger guide
Email yourself this Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger guide so the rating criteria, evidence checklist, and preparation tips are easy to find later.
A CLEARER PATH FORWARD
Make sense of your next step.
01Understand the rating02Know what to gather03Plan your preparationTHE ESSENTIALS
How the VA rates Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger
The ring or little finger is fixed in one position. DC 5227 is a single 0 percent row: the ankylosis is recognised as a disability but the code awards no compensation for it on its own, whichever hand it is on and whether the fixed position is favorable or unfavorable.
DC 5227 has one rating row - 'Unfavorable or favorable' - at 0 percent in both the major (dominant) and minor (non-dominant) columns. The code provides no compensable evaluation and states no exception that would raise it. Two other routes are what its note points to: 'Also consider whether evaluation as amputation is warranted and whether an additional evaluation is warranted for resulting limitation of motion of other digits or interference with overall function of the hand.' And where the ring or little finger is ankylosed together with another digit, the rating moves to the multiple-digit codes - DC 5219 rates two digits in unfavorable ankylosis at 20 percent for a pair drawn from the long, ring and little fingers, and DC 5223 rates the same pair in favorable ankylosis at 10 percent.
- Diagnostic code
- 5227
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.71a
- Schedule levels
- 0%
EXPLORE THE PERCENTAGES
Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger VA rating criteria (DC 5227)
This condition has one published rating level. Read the criteria, then explore the details and monthly pay.
These are published rating criteria. Selecting a level does not predict your VA decision.
IN THE REGULATION’S OWN WORDS
What 38 CFR also says about Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger
The notes 38 CFR Part 4 prints with these criteria, quoted. They govern how the evaluation is made without being a rating level themselves.
- “Note: Also consider whether evaluation as amputation is warranted and whether an additional evaluation is warranted for resulting limitation of motion of other digits or interference with overall function of the hand.”DC 5227
BUILD YOUR EVIDENCE, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Evidence for your Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger claim
A long list feels easier when you have a place to start. Use this checklist to see what you have and what still needs gathering.
Check off what you’ve gathered. Progress stays on this page until you leave or refresh.
THE EXAM FORM
Which DBQ is used for Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger?
VA's page says: “You can use these forms to submit medical evidence from your health care providers.”
Source: VA: Public Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs), read September 18, 2026.
THE EVERYDAY PICTURE
What the Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger examination has to record
The criteria above are read off an examination, and three sections of Part 4 govern what that examination has to contain. None of them is a diagnostic code, so none of them appears in the 5227 table, and all three apply to it. 38 CFR § 4.40: “Weakness is as important as limitation of motion, and a part which becomes painful on use must be regarded as seriously disabled.”
38 CFR § 4.45 lists what an examination of a joint is directed to consider:
- Less movement than normal (due to ankylosis, limitation or blocking, adhesions, tendon-tie-up, contracted scars, etc.).
- More movement than normal (from flail joint, resections, nonunion of fracture, relaxation of ligaments, etc.).
- Weakened movement (due to muscle injury, disease or injury of peripheral nerves, divided or lengthened tendons, etc.).
- Excess fatigability.
- Incoordination, impaired ability to execute skilled movements smoothly.
- Pain on movement, swelling, deformity or atrophy of disuse.
38 CFR § 4.59: “It is the intention to recognize actually painful, unstable, or malaligned joints, due to healed injury, as entitled to at least the minimum compensable rating for the joint.” So a joint that is painful on use is not a finding of nothing, even where the measured motion is close to normal.
The same section says how the joint is to be tested: “The joints involved should be tested for pain on both active and passive motion, in weight-bearing and nonweight-bearing and, if possible, with the range of the opposite undamaged joint.” An examination that records one measurement, taken once, sitting down, has not done what the section asks, and that is worth reading the exam report for.
SMALL DETAILS. BETTER PREPARATION.
Preparing your Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger claim
Start with the practical tips, then explore the common oversights. You don’t need to work through everything at once.
Practical tips for your claim3 tips
- 01
Pair with broader hand or nerve conditions
- 02
Provide strong evidence of hand function loss
- 03
Clarify how it affects dominant hand use
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind3 tips
- 01
Expecting compensation without proving functional impairment
- 02
No evidence of how the stiffness affects tasks
- 03
Failing to show that the finger is immobile
Common filing mistakes3 tips
- 01
Assuming all finger stiffness is ratable
- 02
No functional limitation shown
- 03
Omitting medical documentation
When symptoms may first appear3 tips
- 01
Minor fracture with poor healing
- 02
Arthritis in distal joints
- 03
Chronic repetitive stress injury
THE BROADER PICTURE
Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- Low – seldom awarded unless hand function broadly impacted.
- Veterans service-connected
- ~3,000 veterans
- Typical rating awarded
- ~0%
Vetrify editorial estimates informed by VA published claims data (VBA Annual Benefits Report) and the VA rating schedule, not official VA statistics.
LET’S CLEAR A FEW THINGS UP
Common questions about Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger
Is Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger under VASRD diagnostic code 5227 (Musculoskeletal System). The ring or little finger is fixed in one position. DC 5227 is a single 0 percent row: the ankylosis is recognised as a disability but the code awards no compensation for it on its own, whichever hand it is on and whether the fixed position is favorable or unfavorable.
What VA disability rating can I get for Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger?
Possible VA ratings for Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger are 0%. Examples: 0%: Ankylosis of the ring or little finger, unfavorable or favorable. DC 5227's single rating row is 0 percent - noncompensable - in both the major and minor columns.
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger?
Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger is most often rated 0%, service-connected but noncompensable, per Vetrify's estimate from VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 3,000 veterans are service-connected for Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger. Estimated approval outlook: Low – seldom awarded unless hand function broadly impacted.
What evidence helps prove Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger claim includes: Orthopedic exam showing range of motion loss; Hand function test scores; Therapy or surgical notes confirming chronic stiffness.
Which DBQ is used for Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger?
VA's Hand and Finger Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) is on its public list of DBQs. VA's page says: "You can use these forms to submit medical evidence from your health care providers."
What mistakes should veterans avoid when claiming Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger?
Common pitfalls when filing for Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger: Assuming all finger stiffness is ratable; No functional limitation shown; Omitting medical documentation.
What conditions can be secondary to Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger?
Conditions that can be service-connected as secondary to Ankylosis of the Ring or Little Finger, when a medical opinion links them, include: Ulnar Nerve Irritation. A secondary condition gets its own rating, which VA combines with the veteran's other ratings under 38 CFR 4.25.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.71a, Schedule of ratings, musculoskeletal system (Diagnostic Code 5227)
- 38 CFR § 4.40, functional loss
- 38 CFR § 4.45, the joints
- 38 CFR § 4.59, painful motion
Criteria in quotation marks are the regulation’s own words; everything else on this page is Vetrify’s summary of it. The eCFR text is authoritative. See how Vetrify derives its numbers.
How these figures are checked: our methodology and the open dataset.
VA Calc: Disability Pay
Combine your ratings & see monthly pay on your iPhone · Works offline