Body system: Musculoskeletal SystemRegulation: 38 CFR § 4.71a
Ankylosis of the thumb means your thumb joint has become completely stiff and immobile, usually due to injury, arthritis, or surgery. The VA rates this condition at either 10% (if your thumb is stuck in a favorable position that still allows some function) or 20% (if it's stuck in an unfavorable position that significantly limits your ability to use your hand). The rating depends on whether the fixed position helps or hinders your daily activities like gripping, pinching, and grasping objects.
Rating levels
- 20% — Your thumb joint is completely stiff and stuck in a bad position that makes it difficult to use your hand effectively. Ankylosis means the joint cannot bend or move at all, and "unfavorable" means your thumb is positioned in a way that significantly interferes with gripping, pinching, or other normal hand functions.
- 20% — Your thumb joint is completely stiff and stuck in a bad position that makes it difficult to use your hand effectively. Ankylosis means the joint cannot bend or move at all, and "unfavorable" means your thumb is positioned in a way that significantly interferes with gripping, pinching, or other normal hand functions.
- 10% — Your thumb is completely stiff and cannot bend at all, but it's frozen in a good position that still allows you to use your hand reasonably well for most daily activities. Ankylosis means the joint is completely fused or locked in place and has no movement whatsoever. The "favorable" position typically means your thumb is positioned so you can still grip objects and perform basic hand functions, even though the thumb joint itself doesn't move.
- 10% — Your thumb is completely stiff and cannot bend at all, but it's frozen in a good position that still allows you to use your hand reasonably well for most daily activities. Ankylosis means the joint is completely fused or locked in place and has no movement whatsoever. The "favorable" position typically means your thumb is positioned so you can still grip objects and perform basic hand functions, even though the thumb joint itself doesn't move.