38 CFR § 4.44
The bones
Comes up when rating a healed fracture or other bone deformity and its effect on nearby joints.
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Read the 998 decisions citing § 4.44
The conditions it decides
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What this regulation says, in plain English
This section directs VA to document bone abnormalities from trauma or disease, such as malunion causing deformity or joint misalignment, tracing the injury from its onset through treatment and recovery, and to note how any shortening or angulation of a long bone affects nearby weight-bearing joints.
Read the full text of 38 CFR § 4.44
This text was last amended by VA on December 14, 2016. We check it against eCFR every week.
The osseous abnormalities incident to trauma or disease, such as malunion with deformity throwing abnormal stress upon, and causing malalignment of joint surfaces, should be depicted from study and observation of all available data, beginning with inception of injury or disease, its nature, degree of prostration, treatment and duration of convalescence, and progress of recovery with development of permanent residuals. With shortening of a long bone, some degree of angulation is to be expected; the extent and direction should be brought out by X-ray and observation. The direction of angulation and extent of deformity should be carefully related to strain on the neighboring joints, especially those connected with weight-bearing.
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