YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Favorable Ankylosis of Two Digits of One Hand VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Favorable Ankylosis of Two Digits of One Hand under diagnostic code 5223, in 38 CFR § 4.71a (musculoskeletal system), and the schedule provides three evaluation levels for it: 30%, 20% and 10%.
Free · No account needed
Save your Favorable Ankylosis of Two Digits of One Hand guide
Email yourself this Favorable Ankylosis of Two Digits of One Hand 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 Favorable Ankylosis of Two Digits of One Hand
DC 5223 covers two digits of the same hand ankylosed in a favorable position, most often the thumb and one finger. It is the favorable counterpart of DC 5219 and pays 10 percent less on every row but one: which two digits are involved, and whether it is the dominant hand, set the evaluation.
DC 5223 has three rating rows, each with a major (dominant) and a minor (non-dominant) value. The thumb and any finger is 30 percent major and 20 percent minor. The index finger with the long, ring or little finger is 20 percent in both columns. Long and ring, long and little, or ring and little is 10 percent in both columns. So the record has to establish which two digits are ankylosed, that the position is favorable rather than unfavorable - unfavorable ankylosis of the same two digits is DC 5219, which pays 10 percent more on every row except one: an index-finger pair on the non-dominant hand is 20 percent under both codes, so for that combination the favorable/unfavorable finding does not change the evaluation - and which hand is dominant. Where three, four or five digits are ankylosed favorably, the evaluation moves up the table to DC 5222, 5221 or 5220.
- Diagnostic code
- 5223
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.71a
- Schedule levels
- 30%, 20% and 10%
How does the VA choose a rating level?
Which level applies is set by the criteria the evidence meets, not by the diagnosis. Where there is a question as to which of two evaluations applies, 38 CFR § 4.7 assigns the higher one if the disability picture more nearly approximates the criteria required for that rating.
This code prints no 0% row. Under 38 CFR § 4.31, a 0% evaluation is assigned where the requirements for a compensable evaluation are not met.
EXPLORE THE PERCENTAGES
Favorable Ankylosis of Two Digits of One Hand VA rating criteria (DC 5223)
Choose a percentage to see what that level means. Open the full comparison to read all the criteria in one place.
These are published rating criteria. Selecting a level does not predict your VA decision.
BUILD YOUR EVIDENCE, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Evidence for your Favorable Ankylosis of Two Digits of One Hand 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 Favorable Ankylosis of Two Digits of One Hand?
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 Favorable Ankylosis of Two Digits of One Hand 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 5223 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 Favorable Ankylosis of Two Digits of One Hand 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
Use handwriting or tool grip impact as examples
- 02
Submit video or photo proof of limited motion
- 03
Request grip strength test from provider
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind3 tips
- 01
Insufficient description of impact on function
- 02
No documentation of joint fixation
- 03
Missing dominant hand reference
Common filing mistakes3 tips
- 01
Failing to highlight thumb involvement
- 02
Not including impact on fine motor skills
- 03
Only listing pain instead of ankylosis
When symptoms may first appear2 tips
- 01
Often after injury to thumb and surrounding joints
- 02
May follow arthritis or multiple surgeries
THE BROADER PICTURE
Favorable Ankylosis of Two Digits of One Hand by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- Moderate to high – especially if dominant hand affected.
- Veterans service-connected
- ~4,100 veterans
- Typical rating awarded
- ~20%
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 Favorable Ankylosis of Two Digits of One Hand
Is Favorable Ankylosis of Two Digits of One Hand a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Favorable Ankylosis of Two Digits of One Hand under VASRD diagnostic code 5223 (Musculoskeletal System). DC 5223 covers two digits of the same hand ankylosed in a favorable position, most often the thumb and one finger. It is the favorable counterpart of DC 5219 and pays 10 percent less on every row but one: which two digits are involved, and whether it is the dominant hand, set the evaluation.
What VA disability rating can I get for Favorable Ankylosis of Two Digits of One Hand?
Possible VA ratings for Favorable Ankylosis of Two Digits of One Hand are 30%, 20%, 10%, 0%. The 0% level comes from 38 CFR 4.31, which assigns it wherever no compensable level is met. Examples: 30%: Favorable ankylosis of the thumb and any finger of the dominant (major) hand; 20%: Favorable ankylosis of the thumb and any finger of the non-dominant (minor) hand; or of the index finger together with the long, ring or little finger, on either hand; 10%: Favorable ankylosis of any two of the long, ring and little fingers, on either hand.
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Favorable Ankylosis of Two Digits of One Hand?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Favorable Ankylosis of Two Digits of One Hand at around 20%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 4,100 veterans are service-connected for Favorable Ankylosis of Two Digits of One Hand. Estimated approval outlook: Moderate to high – especially if dominant hand affected.
What evidence helps prove Favorable Ankylosis of Two Digits of One Hand for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Favorable Ankylosis of Two Digits of One Hand claim includes: Imaging confirming ankylosis of each digit claimed, not only of the hand generally; An examination that names which two digits are ankylosed and the position each is fixed in, since favorable and unfavorable ankylosis are separate codes; Documentation of hand dominance, which changes the evaluation on the thumb-and-finger row; Grip, pinch and dexterity testing showing the combined effect on the hand.
Which DBQ is used for Favorable Ankylosis of Two Digits of One Hand?
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 Favorable Ankylosis of Two Digits of One Hand?
Common pitfalls when filing for Favorable Ankylosis of Two Digits of One Hand: Failing to highlight thumb involvement; Not including impact on fine motor skills; Only listing pain instead of ankylosis.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.71a, Schedule of ratings, musculoskeletal system (Diagnostic Code 5223)
- 38 CFR § 4.7, higher of two evaluations
- 38 CFR § 4.31, zero percent evaluations
- 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