Claim Raven explanation
What this means
This section supplies standard positions and diagrams for measuring joint motion and ankylosis. Ankylosis means fixation of a joint, and its position can affect the applicable evaluation.
The official plates establish common measurement reference points. They are aids to interpreting a professional examination, not instructions to diagnose yourself or force a joint beyond safe movement.
How this helps your claim
This helps you understand the degrees reported in an examination and compare them with the rating schedule. The relevant joint, direction of movement, and measurement method all matter.
What to check in your records
Use your decision, examination reports, and relevant records to check the following points.
- Identify the joint and each direction of movement recorded.
- Compare the reported measurements with the relevant official plate.
- Check whether the report distinguishes limited motion from fixation of the joint.
Use the diagrams to understand the report
The official plates establish reference positions for joint measurements. They can help explain which direction or position an examiner recorded and how that corresponds to the rating criteria. The diagrams are context for the clinical findings, not a substitute for them.
Keep the joint, side, movement and units together when reading a measurement. Ankylosis and limited motion are not simply interchangeable labels. If a report uses those terms inconsistently, the medical meaning should be clarified rather than inferred from how stiff a joint feels.
Should I force a joint into the diagram's position?
No. These figures support professional measurement and interpretation. They are not instructions to push through pain or perform unsafe testing at home. Describe your ordinary limitations accurately and rely on the appropriate examination for required measurements and clinical characterization.
Official regulatory text
38 CFR § 4.71
eCFR snapshot: September 3, 2026. Layout and spacing are adapted for reading. The full section and its tables are included below.
§ 4.71 Measurement of ankylosis and joint motion.
Plates I and II provide a standardized description of ankylosis and joint motion measurement. The anatomical position is considered as 0°, with two major exceptions: (a) Shoulder rotation—arm abducted to 90°, elbow flexed to 90° with the position of the forearm reflecting the midpoint 0° between internal and external rotation of the shoulder; and (b) supination and pronation—the arm next to the body, elbow flexed to 90°, and the forearm in midposition 0° between supination and pronation. Motion of the thumb and fingers should be described by appropriate reference to the joints (See Plate III) whose movement is limited, with a statement as to how near, in centimeters, the tip of the thumb can approximate the fingers, or how near the tips of the fingers can approximate the proximal transverse crease of palm.
[29 FR 6718, May 22, 1964, as amended at 43 FR 45349, Oct. 2, 1978; 67 FR 48785, July 26, 2002]
Original official figures and tables
These images are part of the official section. Open an original to inspect it at full size.
Related references
- 38 CFR § 4.1: What a VA disability rating measures
- 38 CFR § 3.159: VA duty to assist: records and examinations
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