VA Disability Conditions

This is 38 CFR 4.71a DC 5111, "Loss of use of one hand and one foot" — one row in the combinations-of-disabilities table, paying a single evaluation of 100 percent when one hand and one foot have both lost all effective function. The limbs are still present; the test is functional. Anatomical loss of one hand together with loss of use of one foot is a different entry (DC 5104), as is anatomical loss of one hand and one foot (DC 5108).

Tinnitus means you hear ringing, buzzing, or hissing in your ears even when there’s no sound.

The schedule has no diagnostic code of its own titled scleroderma. DC 7821 covers "cutaneous manifestations of collagen-vascular diseases not listed elsewhere," and names scleroderma, calcinosis cutis, subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus, and dermatomyositis inside that title. What this code evaluates is the skin involvement, under the General Rating Formula for the Skin: how much of the body or of the exposed areas the characteristic lesions cover, and how much systemic therapy the condition has required over the past 12 months.

Atrioventricular block is a delay or interruption in the electrical signal travelling from the heart's upper chambers to its lower chambers. The schedule splits the code in two by degree of block. First-degree and second-degree Type I block are treated as benign and evaluated under the General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Heart, so the percentage turns on the exertion your heart tolerates before heart failure symptoms appear. Second-degree Type II and third-degree block are treated as non-benign and evaluated under DC 7018, the code for implantable cardiac pacemakers.

Hyperthyroid heart disease is cardiac impairment specifically caused by an overactive thyroid, where excess thyroid hormone overworks the heart, distinct from hyperthyroidism's other symptoms like weight loss or anxiety. Because this code requires showing the cardiac impact specifically, evidence connecting your thyroid diagnosis to actual heart findings is essential.

DC 7123 covers soft tissue sarcoma of vascular origin — a cancer arising in blood vessel tissue. The code has one evaluation and one only: 100 percent. Its Note keeps that 100 percent in place beyond the end of any surgical, X-ray, antineoplastic chemotherapy or other therapeutic procedure, and sets a mandatory VA examination six months after that treatment is discontinued. If there has been no local recurrence or metastasis by then, the evaluation is made on the residuals that remain.

Damage from frostbite or cold exposure causing numbness, pain, skin discoloration or circulation issues.

Buerger's disease is a rare condition causing inflammation and clotting in the small and medium blood vessels of the hands and feet, strongly associated with tobacco use, and it can lead to severe pain and, in advanced cases, tissue loss. Documenting your smoking and tobacco history, even though it's not something to hide, is actually relevant evidence since this disease is so closely tied to it.

Aortic aneurysm involves abnormal bulging in the wall of the aorta that can rupture or require surgical repair.

Coronary artery disease is the narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the heart, usually from plaque buildup, which can cause chest pain (angina), shortness of breath, and fatigue with exertion. It's a PACT Act presumptive condition for many Vietnam-era veterans with qualifying Agent Orange exposure.

Erythromelalgia produces attacks of burning pain in the hands, feet, or both — usually on both sides and symmetrical — with the skin becoming warmer and red, and the schedule describes these attacks as occurring at warm ambient temperatures. DC 7119 rates the disease entirely on those attacks: how often they come, how long they average, whether they respond to treatment, and whether they restrict most routine daily activities. The code's Note states that these evaluations are for the disease as a whole, regardless of the number of extremities involved, so hands and feet are not evaluated separately under this code.

Hypertension is chronically elevated blood pressure that, left unmanaged, raises the risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease. It's one of the most common VA claims, both filed directly and as a PACT Act presumptive condition for many Vietnam-era veterans exposed to Agent Orange.

Hypertensive heart disease is heart damage caused by long-standing high blood pressure, which forces the heart to work harder over time and can lead to thickening of the heart muscle, reduced pumping efficiency, or heart failure. It's a PACT Act presumptive condition for many Vietnam-era veterans with qualifying Agent Orange exposure.

A myocardial infarction is a heart attack: blood flow to part of the heart muscle is cut off and that muscle is damaged. DC 7006 assigns 100 percent during the infarction and for three months following it, provided laboratory tests confirm it. After those three months the evaluation is reset under the General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Heart, which measures how much exertion your heart tolerates before heart failure symptoms appear.

Peripheral arterial disease is reduced arterial blood flow to a limb. Under DC 7114 the percentage is set by objective measurement rather than by symptoms: the ankle/brachial index (ABI), the ankle pressure, the toe pressure, or the transcutaneous oxygen tension. Each band lists all four measures, and meeting any one of them is enough. The lowest evaluation this code offers is 20 percent, and each affected limb is evaluated separately.

DC 7121 covers post-phlebitic syndrome of any etiology — lasting venous disease in a limb, whatever caused it. All of the code's criteria sit under one heading: the findings must be attributed to venous disease. What the bands measure is what the limb shows — swelling and whether elevating the limb relieves it, skin discoloration (stasis pigmentation) or eczema, hardening under the skin, and ulceration. The ladder runs from 0 percent for varicose veins that cause no symptoms up to 100 percent for massive board-like swelling with constant pain at rest, and each affected limb is evaluated separately.

Supraventricular tachycardia is an abnormally fast heart rhythm arising above the ventricles. The schedule names atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, sinus tachycardia, atrial tachycardia, junctional tachycardia, multifocal atrial tachycardia, and several reentrant tachycardias among its examples. What sets the rating is not how often you feel an episode but how many treatment interventions the rhythm required over a year — or, at the lower tier, whether it is controlled by continuous oral medication or by vagal maneuvers. Both tiers open with confirmation by ECG.

Syphilitic heart disease is heart disease caused by a syphilis infection. DC 7004 carries no rating percentages of its own — it is evaluated under the General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Heart. That means the percentage turns on how much physical work your heart tolerates before heart failure symptoms appear, on whether cardiac imaging shows the heart has thickened or enlarged, and on whether continuous medication is required to control the condition.

Damage to one or more of the heart valves, leading to poor circulation, fatigue, and chest pain.

Swollen, twisted veins visible under the skin, usually in the legs, causing aching, swelling, and fatigue.

Chronic gastritis is long-standing inflammation of the stomach lining, which can cause abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and bleeding. The schedule's Note puts several conditions under this one code: Helicobacter pylori infection, drug-induced gastritis, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, and portal-hypertensive gastropathy with varix-related complications. DC 7307 carries no percentages of its own; the entry reads "Rate as peptic ulcer disease (DC 7304)", so the evaluation is built from that code's criteria.

Crohn's disease is chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. DC 7326 covers Crohn's disease and the undifferentiated form of inflammatory bowel disease, and the schedule's index also lists chronic enterocolitis under this code. Note (3) allows the inflammation to involve the small bowel (ileitis), the large bowel (colitis), or any component of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus. The percentage follows how the disease is being managed — oral or topical agents, immunosuppressants or biologic agents, or treatment it no longer responds to — together with daily diarrhea episodes, recurrent abdominal pain, and signs of toxicity such as fever, tachycardia, or anemia.

An esophageal stricture is a narrowing of the esophagus that causes dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing. What drives the rating is not the diagnosis but what it takes to control — daily medication, how often the esophagus has to be dilated, whether a stent is placed, and at the top of the scale aspiration, undernutrition, or substantial weight loss treated with surgical correction or a PEG tube. Note (3) also rates several forms of esophagitis under this code.

GERD is stomach acid and stomach contents flowing back up into the esophagus, causing heartburn, regurgitation and chest discomfort. DC 7206 has its own criteria table, and what that table measures is not how often heartburn occurs — every step is written around a documented esophageal stricture causing dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) and the treatment that stricture requires. Note (1) requires the findings to be documented by barium swallow, computerized tomography, or esophagogastroduodenoscopy.

Swollen veins in the rectum or anus that may bleed or cause discomfort.

Hepatitis C is a viral infection of the liver. DC 7354 carries no criteria of its own — the schedule directs "Rate under DC 7345 (Chronic liver disease without cirrhosis)", and DC 7345's Note (3) says to track Hepatitis C under DC 7354 but evaluate it using DC 7345's criteria. What that table measures is the treatment the liver disease requires, weight loss, and a specific list of named symptoms — not the viral diagnosis by itself.

A hernia is a bulge that forms where the abdominal wall gives way and tissue pushes through. DC 7338 is a single code for hernias "including femoral, inguinal, umbilical, ventral, incisional, and other (but not including hiatal)" — hiatal and paraesophageal hernia is DC 7346. Every compensable evaluation here starts from the same footing: an irreparable hernia, new or recurrent, present for 12 months or more. From there the percentage is set by the hernia's size in one dimension and by how many named activities — bending over, activities of daily living, walking, climbing stairs — bring on pain.

A hiatal hernia is part of the stomach pushing up through the diaphragm into the chest, which can cause reflux, chest discomfort and difficulty swallowing. DC 7346 carries no criteria of its own: the entry for hiatal hernia and paraesophageal hernia reads "Rate as esophagus, stricture of (DC 7203)." That means the evaluation is built on a documented esophageal stricture causing dysphagia and on the treatment it requires — dilatation, a stent, surgical correction or a feeding tube — rather than on how severe the reflux symptoms are.

A chronic condition causing abdominal discomfort, bloating, and frequent diarrhea and/or constipation.

Chronic pancreatitis is long-standing inflammation of the pancreas that causes recurring abdominal or mid-back pain and, as the gland fails, difficulty digesting and absorbing food. DC 7347 provides three evaluations — 30, 60 and 100 percent — and each is written around counted episodes of that pain, hospitalizations, and whether maldigestion and malabsorption require dietary restriction and pancreatic enzyme supplementation. Note (1) requires appropriate diagnostic studies to confirm that the abdominal pain results from pancreatitis.

Peptic ulcer disease is an open sore in the lining of the stomach or the upper small intestine, causing abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes bleeding. DC 7304 is the schedule's peptic ulcer code — the index routes "Ulcer, peptic" here, and DC 7305 and DC 7306 are listed as removed. What sets the percentage is the pattern rather than the diagnosis: how long each episode of abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting lasts, how many occurred in the past 12 months, whether daily prescribed medication is required, and whether bleeding, anemia, or surgery has been involved.

Peritoneal adhesions are bands of scar tissue that form in the abdomen after surgery, trauma, disease, or infection. The schedule rates them on symptoms and treatment burden rather than on the adhesions themselves. The 10, 30, and 50 percent levels all begin from symptomatic adhesions with at least one of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, colic, constipation, or diarrhea, and step up by adding medically-directed dietary modification and then hospitalization for recurrent obstruction. The 80 percent level is written separately, around persistent partial bowel obstruction. A history of adhesions that is currently asymptomatic is rated 0 percent.

Pruritus ani is itching of the skin around the anus. This code has one dividing line: whether the itching has produced bleeding or excoriation, meaning broken or abraded skin. With bleeding or excoriation the evaluation is 10 percent; without it, 0 percent. Ten percent is the maximum available under this diagnostic code.

Rectal prolapse is the rectum protruding through the anus. The evaluation pairs two findings: how the prolapse reduces — on its own, only with manual help, or not at all — and whether it is repairable. Note (1) continues a 100 percent evaluation for two months after a repairable prolapse is repaired, after which a mandatory VA examination sets the evaluation on the residuals. Note (2) sends the claim to DC 7332 instead when impairment of sphincter control is the predominant disability.

An abnormal tunnel between the rectum and skin near the anus, often from infection or abscess.

Loss of control over bowel movements, possibly causing leakage or incontinence.

Narrowing of the rectal canal, often from surgery, radiation, or chronic inflammation.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that inflames and ulcerates the lining of the colon, causing recurring diarrhea, abdominal pain and often rectal bleeding. DC 7323 carries no criteria of its own — the schedule directs "Rate as Crohn's disease or undifferentiated form of inflammatory bowel disease (DC 7326)." That table grades the disease on the class of medication needed to manage it, how many episodes of diarrhea occur per day, and whether there are signs of toxicity such as fever, tachycardia or anemia.

Chronic otitis media is a long-standing middle-ear infection or inflammation that causes recurring drainage, ear pain, and, over time, measurable hearing loss. It's rated as a combined condition: the infection itself plus the hearing impairment it causes.

Peripheral vestibular disorders affect the inner ear structures responsible for balance, causing dizziness, vertigo, and sometimes nausea that can range from occasional to disabling. Common causes include ear infections, head trauma, or chronic noise exposure, which makes this a frequent secondary claim alongside hearing loss or tinnitus.

This code rates chronic middle-ear inflammation based specifically on whether there's active suppuration (drainage) at the time of evaluation - a simpler, two-tier rating than the related code that also requires documented hearing loss. If your ear condition doesn't include measurable hearing impairment, this may be the more applicable code.

This code covers mastoiditis on its own, infection of the mastoid bone behind the ear, distinct from a related code that covers mastoiditis combined with chronic otitis media. If your case involves the mastoid infection without the broader combined diagnosis, this narrower, single-tier code is what applies.

This code rates chronic suppurative otitis media, active, ongoing infected ear drainage, as a single-tier condition rather than a graduated scale, meaning the rating is the same whether the drainage is mild or more significant, as long as it's continuous. If your rating decision cites this specific code, confirming that drainage is active and ongoing is the entire basis of the claim.

This code covers chronic middle-ear infection specifically when it involves the mastoid bone (mastoiditis) as well, and it's distinguished from other otitis media codes by rating the higher tier based on how often you need surgery or drainage procedures, not just whether drainage is present. If your rating decision cites this code, your surgical and procedure history is the key evidence.

This is one of several VASRD codes covering chronic middle-ear infection, distinguished here by whether the condition is currently active with symptoms or has healed with no lasting effects. If your VA rating decision cites this specific code rather than a related one, this binary current-versus-healed distinction is what determines your rating.

Hearing loss caused by damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve, making it hard to hear clearly or distinguish words.

A metabolic condition where blood sugar is chronically high due to poor insulin production or use.

DC 7915 covers a benign — non-cancerous — neoplasm in any specified part of the endocrine system. The code states no percentages of its own; its whole entry is the instruction "Rate as residuals of endocrine dysfunction." So the evaluation comes from the endocrine dysfunction the growth leaves behind, not from the tumor's size or from the fact that it is benign. Where a neoplasm of the same system is malignant, the code is DC 7914 instead, which carries its own 100 percent evaluation.

Hyperthyroidism is an overactive thyroid producing excess hormone, which speeds up metabolism and can cause rapid heartbeat, tremor, anxiety, heat intolerance and weight loss. Graves' disease is the most common cause and is rated under the same code.

DC 7914 covers a malignant — cancerous — neoplasm in any specified part of the endocrine system, thyroid cancer included. It carries one evaluation, 100 percent, and no lower tier of its own. That 100 percent continues through treatment and beyond it; six months after treatment is discontinued, a mandatory VA examination determines the rating that follows, and where there has been no local recurrence or metastasis the evaluation is then based on the residuals.

Thyroiditis is inflammation of the thyroid gland. It is rated on the thyroid state it produces: an overactive phase is evaluated as hyperthyroidism (DC 7900) and an underactive phase as hypothyroidism (DC 7903), while a euthyroid gland is rated 0 percent under DC 7906.

This code covers vision loss or blurriness that can't be fully corrected with glasses or contact lenses. Because normal refractive errors (like being nearsighted) are correctable and therefore not compensable, the claim depends specifically on showing your best-corrected vision is still impaired.

This code rates central visual acuity, how sharply you can see fine detail, using a detailed table that combines your best-corrected vision in each eye, rather than the simpler correctable-versus-not distinction used by some other vision codes. If your rating decision cites this code, both eyes' specific Snellen chart results (like 20/40 or 20/70) are what determines your tier.

Kidney inflammation that affects filtering ability, often caused by medications or infections.

Chronic renal disease is long-term, progressive damage to the kidneys' ability to filter waste from the blood. DC 7530 carries no criteria of its own — the schedule directs "Rate as renal dysfunction" — so the evaluation comes from the § 4.115a table, which is graded by glomerular filtration rate. Each band has to hold for at least 3 consecutive months during the past 12 months, and requiring regular routine dialysis or being an eligible kidney transplant recipient reaches 100 percent on its own.

This code covers erectile dysfunction, with or without penile deformity — neither element depends on the other being present. Under the code's note, a disease or traumatic injury of the penis that results in scarring or deformity is also rated here. The schedule lists a single evaluation for the code and it is 0 percent, so the percentage does not move with how severe the dysfunction is or how pronounced any deformity is. What the evidence has to establish is the diagnosis and how it connects to service, not a severity level.

Swelling of the kidney due to urine backup from obstruction.

This code covers surgical removal of one kidney. The schedule assigns a 30 percent minimum evaluation for the removal itself. If the remaining kidney has nephritis, infection, or other pathology, this same code is instead rated as renal dysfunction under § 4.115a, which is graded by glomerular filtration rate.

This code covers malignant neoplasms of the genitourinary system — cancer of the urinary and reproductive organs rated in § 4.115b, prostate cancer among them. An active malignancy under this code is evaluated at 100 percent. Under the code's note, that 100 percent continues after surgical, X-ray, antineoplastic chemotherapy, or other therapeutic treatment ends, with a mandatory VA examination at the expiration of six months. If there has been no local recurrence or metastasis at that point, the evaluation is based on the residuals that remain, rated as voiding dysfunction or renal dysfunction, whichever is predominant.

Chronic nephritis is long-term inflammation of the kidneys' filtering structures, which can lead to protein leaking into the urine (proteinuria) and elevated blood pressure as kidney function gradually declines. Because early kidney damage often has no obvious symptoms, lab-confirmed findings are what actually establish and track this condition.

Formation of stones in the kidney causing pain and urinary problems.

This code covers surgical removal of half or more of the penis. The schedule provides a single evaluation for it — 30 percent — with no higher or lower step inside the code. What the evaluation rests on is whether the record establishes that half or more was removed.

DC 7527 covers prostate gland injuries and infections, hypertrophy, post-operative residuals, and bladder outlet obstruction. It carries no criteria of its own — the schedule directs that it be rated as voiding dysfunction or urinary tract infection, whichever is predominant. Which route applies, and which part of the voiding dysfunction table applies, decides the percentage: urine leakage and how often absorbent materials must be changed, urinary frequency by day and by night, or obstructed voiding and catheterization.

This code covers the chronic forms of prostatitis, urethritis, epididymitis, and orchitis — long-running inflammation or infection of the prostate, urethra, epididymis, or testicle, on one side or both. The schedule gives the code no criteria of its own; it directs that the condition be rated as a urinary tract infection. That means the percentage comes from how the recurring infection has had to be managed — hospitalizations in a year, how long suppressive drug therapy has run, and whether drainage or continuous intensive management is needed — rather than from how much pain or discomfort the condition causes.

Shrinking or damage to one or both testicles, often affecting fertility or hormone levels.

Loss or removal of one or both testicles.

A urethral stricture is a narrowing of the urethra that obstructs the flow of urine. DC 7518 carries no criteria of its own; the schedule directs "Rate as voiding dysfunction", and § 4.115a in turn directs that the particular condition be rated as urine leakage, frequency, or obstructed voiding. The ladder published for this code is the obstructed voiding table, which is built on retention requiring catheterization and on objective measures of obstruction such as post-void residual volume and peak flow rate.

This code covers varicocele and hydrocele together in one schedule entry — a varicocele is a swelling of the veins within the scrotum, and a hydrocele is a collection of fluid in the sac around a testicle. The schedule gives the code a single evaluation, and it is 0 percent. Nothing in the criteria raises that figure, so the evaluation does not turn on pain, size, which side is involved, or whether the condition has been surgically repaired. Where a separate condition has developed and the schedule rates it under its own diagnostic code, that code is where a compensable evaluation would come from.

Gonococcal arthritis — the schedule calls it "Arthritis, gonorrheal" — is joint inflammation caused by disseminated Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection, most often striking a single large joint with severe pain, swelling and fever. VA rates it under DC 5004, which has no percentage criteria of its own: the active infection is rated under DC 5002 and anything left behind afterwards is rated under DC 5003.

Parasitic infection from mosquito bites causing fevers and chills.

Tuberculous peritonitis is tuberculosis infection of the peritoneum, the membrane lining the abdominal cavity. DC 7331 prints a single evaluation: active tuberculous peritonitis is rated 100 percent. The code's title covers the condition "active or inactive", but inactive disease carries no percentage here — the entry reads "Inactive: See §§ 4.88b and 4.89", sending that part of the evaluation outside DC 7331.

Osteomyelitis is infection of bone — usually reaching it through an open fracture, a penetrating wound, surgery or the bloodstream — which can smoulder for years, produce dead bone (sequestrum) and drain through a sinus tract to the skin. DC 5000 rates it on how active and how widespread the infection is, and on how recently there has been objective evidence of activity.

Skeletal tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection of bone or joint — most often the spine (Pott's disease), hip or knee — causing destructive lesions, pain, deformity and abscess. DC 5001 ("Bones and joints, tuberculosis of, active or inactive") is a single 100 percent evaluation while the disease is active; once it is inactive the schedule sends the rating elsewhere.

CFS causes persistent fatigue not improved by rest and worsened by physical or mental activity.

GAD is a mental health condition marked by persistent, excessive worry about daily activities.

Panic disorder is marked by sudden episodes of intense fear, often leading to avoidance of public places.

PTSD is a mental health issue caused by a traumatic event, leading to flashbacks, anxiety, or nightmares.

This code covers amputation of the arm below the insertion of the deltoid. It pays 80 percent for the dominant (major) upper extremity and 70 percent for the non-dominant (minor) one - the two figures are the two sides, not two amputation heights. An amputation above the deltoid insertion is a different, higher-paying code (DC 5121).

A chronic inflammatory disease causing spine fusion and pain.

The index finger is fixed in one position and no longer bends. DC 5225 is a single 10 percent evaluation: the schedule does not separate favorable from unfavorable ankylosis for this digit, and it does not separate the dominant hand from the non-dominant one.

The long (middle) finger is fixed in one position and no longer bends. DC 5226 is a single 10 percent evaluation: favorable and unfavorable ankylosis are rated the same, and so are the dominant and non-dominant hands.

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.

The thumb is fixed in one position and no longer moves. DC 5224 pays 20 percent when the fixed position is unfavorable and 10 percent when it is favorable, and unlike most upper-extremity codes it pays the same whether the thumb is on the dominant or the non-dominant hand.

This code covers complete amputation of the upper extremity at its two highest levels: forequarter amputation, which takes the humerus together with part of the shoulder girdle, and disarticulation, which removes the humerus only. Both rows pay the same on either side - this code has no dominant versus non-dominant difference - so the evaluation turns entirely on which of the two levels the operative record documents.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition marked by widespread musculoskeletal pain and tender points, usually with fatigue, unrefreshing sleep, stiffness and cognitive fog. VA rates it under DC 5025, and the percentage turns on how much of the time the pain is present and whether medication or therapy controls it — not on how many joints are involved.

DC 5284 is the catch-all for foot injuries the schedule does not list separately. It has three evaluations — moderate 10 percent, moderately severe 20 percent, severe 30 percent — and no defining criteria, so the whole case rests on how the residuals and their functional effect are characterised. A note to the code provides 40 percent where there is actual loss of use of the foot.

Hyperparathyroidism is overproduction of parathyroid hormone, which pulls calcium out of bone and raises it in the blood, producing fatigue, nausea, constipation, kidney stones, reduced kidney function and progressive bone loss. Its classic skeletal form — osteitis fibrosa cystica, with bone pain, resorption and brown-tumour cysts — has no diagnostic code of its own and is rated as a residual of this condition under DC 7904.

Injury to the muscles that straighten the elbow — the triceps and the anconeus.

Injury to the inner-thigh groin muscles that pull the leg toward the midline — the adductors and the gracilis.

Myositis is inflammation of muscle, producing pain, swelling and weakness in the affected group. DC 5021 has no percentages of its own: it is rated as degenerative arthritis, on limitation of motion of the part the inflamed muscle moves.

The heel bone (os calcis, now called the calcaneus) or the ankle bone (astragalus, now called the talus) healed out of position after a fracture, and the rating turns on whether the resulting deformity is moderate or marked.

Osteitis deformans — Paget's disease of bone — is a disorder of bone remodelling in which bone is broken down and rebuilt too fast, leaving it enlarged, structurally weak and prone to deformity, pain and fracture. It most often affects the pelvis, spine, skull, femur and tibia. The schedule lists it as DC 5016, which has no percentages of its own and is rated on limitation of motion of the affected parts.

Osteoporosis is loss of bone mineral density that leaves bone fragile enough to fracture from minor stress. The schedule titles DC 5013 "Osteoporosis, residuals of" — it rates what the disease has left behind, not the bone-density number, and it does that on limitation of motion of the affected parts.

Plantar fasciitis is inflammation and degeneration of the plantar fascia, the thick band running from the heel to the toes, producing the classic sharp heel pain on the first steps of the morning. Since February 7, 2021 it has had its own diagnostic code — DC 5269 — instead of being rated by analogy to tenosynovitis, and the percentage turns on whether one foot or both are affected and on whether treatment has failed.

One of the small bones of the midfoot or forefoot healed out of position after a fracture, or never healed at all, and the resulting foot disability is graded as moderate, moderately severe, or severe.

Tenosynovitis is inflammation of the sheath that surrounds a tendon, causing pain, swelling and catching on movement. Since February 7, 2021 DC 5024 has covered a wider family — the schedule titles it "Tenosynovitis, tendinitis, tendinosis or tendinopathy", so rotator cuff tendinitis, De Quervain's tenosynovitis, lateral epicondylitis, Achilles tendinopathy and trigger finger are all rated here. The code has no percentages of its own: it is rated as degenerative arthritis, on limitation of motion of the affected part.

DC 5277 covers bilateral weak foot — muscle atrophy, disturbed circulation and weakness in both feet arising from an underlying constitutional condition. It is not really a stand-alone evaluation: the schedule says to rate the underlying condition and treats 10 percent as the minimum. Identifying that underlying condition is therefore the whole claim.

This code covers a below-knee amputation whose residual limb (stump) is defective enough that re-amputation through the thigh is recommended. What the code turns on is that recommendation, not the amputation level by itself, so documentation of how the stump fails is the core evidence.

This code applies when a foot is still physically present but no longer functions well enough for effective walking or balance, essentially treating the functional loss the same as if the foot had been amputated. It's a strict, single-tier standard - the foot has to be functionally unusable, not just painful or weak.

This code covers amputation of all five digits of one hand. It pays 70 percent for the dominant (major) hand and 60 percent for the non-dominant (minor) hand - the two figures are the two hands, not two amputation levels.

DC 5009 is the schedule's catch-all for inflammatory joint disease that has no code of its own — the schedule titles it "Other specified forms of arthropathy (excluding gout)" and its Note (1) lists "Charcot neuropathic, hypertrophic, crystalline, and other autoimmune arthropathies" as examples. Gout is expressly excluded: since February 7, 2021 gout is rated under DC 5017 on limitation of motion, not here.

Amputation of all the toes on one foot without loss of the metatarsal bones. The same code also covers a transmetatarsal amputation that takes up to half of the metatarsals; losing more than half of the metatarsals is a different, higher-rated code.

This is an amputation of the thigh through its middle or lower third — below the upper third of the femur and above the knee. The schedule states a single evaluation covering that whole range, so how well a prosthesis fits does not move the percentage.

This is an amputation of the thigh in its upper third — the top one-third of the distance from the perineum to the knee joint, measured from the perineum. The schedule states a single evaluation for that level, so whether a prosthesis can be fitted does not raise or lower the percentage.

Your ankle joint has been replaced with a prosthesis, and VA evaluates the result under diagnostic code 5056. A 100 percent evaluation runs for 1 year following implantation; after that the highest evaluation this code assigns is 40 percent.

Reduced ability to flex or extend the ankle, usually due to injury or arthritis.

Your elbow is fused, so the forearm is fixed at one angle. VA rates the fusion by the angle it is fixed at, by whether forearm rotation is also completely lost, and by whether it is your dominant or non-dominant arm.

Shoulder ankylosis means your joint is stiff or frozen, severely limiting arm motion.

Ankylosis of the wrist is a wrist fixed in one position that no longer moves. DC 5214 rates it by the position the wrist is fused in and by which hand it is - the schedule prints a major (dominant) and a minor (non-dominant) column, and the dominant wrist rates one step higher at every position. A wrist fixed in an extremely unfavorable position is not rated under this code at all: its note sends that case to DC 5125, loss of use of the hand.

This code covers amputation of the arm above the point where the deltoid inserts. The amputation level fixes which code applies; the code's two percentages are not two heights but the two sides - 90 percent for the dominant (major) upper extremity and 80 percent for the non-dominant (minor) one. An amputation below the deltoid insertion is rated under DC 5122 at 80/70 instead.

Difficulty or inability to raise the arm due to injury or joint damage.

Bursitis is inflammation of a bursa — one of the fluid-filled sacs that cushion tendons and muscles where they pass over bone — most often at the shoulder, hip, elbow or knee, causing pain and painful, restricted motion. DC 5019 has no percentages of its own: it is rated as degenerative arthritis, on limitation of motion of the affected joint.

Complete amputation of the leg at the hip. The schedule sets two levels: disarticulation, which removes the femur and the intrinsic pelvic musculature only, and trans-pelvic amputation, which also takes some portion of the pelvic bones.

Degenerative arthritis (osteoarthritis) is the gradual breakdown of the cartilage that cushions a joint, producing pain, stiffness, swelling and reduced motion. DC 5003 is not primarily a ladder of its own: the schedule rates degenerative arthritis established by X-ray "on the basis of limitation of motion under the appropriate diagnostic codes for the specific joint or joints involved", so most evaluations come from the affected joint's own code and DC 5003 supplies a floor.

Wear and tear in the spine causing stiffness, pain, or nerve issues.

Your elbow joint has been replaced with a prosthesis, and VA evaluates the result under diagnostic code 5052. This code splits its evaluations by extremity: identical residuals are worth more on your dominant (major) arm than on your non-dominant (minor) arm.

This code covers elbow damage that is neither fusion nor simply lost motion: a flail elbow joint, or an old joint fracture that left the elbow markedly angled inward or outward, or a fracture of the head of the radius that never united.

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.

A thigh bone that never healed back together (nonunion), or that healed into a false joint. If the femur healed but healed crooked (malunion), the schedule rates it under the knee or hip codes instead of here.

Fallen arches causing foot pain, imbalance, and difficulty walking.

Difficulty straightening the elbow — the joint stops short of full extension because of injury, fusion or arthritis.

Difficulty bending the elbow due to injury or arthritis.

Amputation of the front of the foot at a level above (proximal to) the metatarsal bones, taking more than one-half of the metatarsal length. A transmetatarsal amputation that takes up to half of the metatarsals is a separate, lower-rated code.

This code covers loss of use of one hand - the point at which the hand keeps no effective function, whether the cause is a crush injury, nerve paralysis or anything else. It rates the dominant (major) hand at 70 percent and the non-dominant (minor) hand at 60. It is loss of function, not amputation: the amputation levels have their own codes.

Your hip joint has been replaced with a prosthesis, or resurfaced, and VA evaluates the result under diagnostic code 5054. The code covers both procedures, but its 30 percent minimum is for a total replacement only.

Stiffness or immobility of the hip joint due to abnormal fusion of the bones.

Arm bone injuries such as dislocation or malunion, affecting function and causing pain.

Damage to the collarbone or shoulder blade that affects shoulder function and stability.

Intervertebral disc syndrome involves damage to the cushioning discs between spinal vertebrae, which can bulge or herniate and press on nearby nerves, causing back pain, stiffness, and sometimes pain radiating into the arms or legs. Unlike most spine ratings based on range of motion, this code can alternatively be rated by counting incapacitating episodes requiring physician-prescribed bed rest.

This code covers a total knee replacement and knee resurfacing. It carries a 100 percent evaluation for 4 months following implantation of the prosthesis or resurfacing; after that the evaluation turns on how the knee actually functions.

Knee is stiff or frozen in one position due to injury, arthritis, or surgery.

This code covers a torn or dislocated meniscus (semilunar cartilage) in the knee that causes recurring episodes of the joint locking, catching, or swelling. Unlike general knee arthritis, the rating here depends specifically on how often these locking and swelling episodes occur, not on imaging alone.

This diagnostic code covers knee instability — the knee buckling, giving out, or shifting out of place — separately from pain or arthritis. Since the 2021 rewrite it rates two named things: recurrent subluxation or instability after a ligament sprain or tear, and instability of the kneecap (the patellofemoral complex) after surgical repair. The tier you land on depends less on how bad the instability feels than on what a medical provider has prescribed for it — a brace, a walking aid, both, or neither.

This code covers a below-knee amputation that a prosthesis controlled by the veteran's own knee action cannot improve — most often because the residual stump is too short to drive one. It carries a single evaluation. An amputation through the thigh itself is a different level and is rated under the thigh codes, not here.

VA measures how far the fingertip stays from your palm when you curl the finger as far as it goes, and how far short of straight it stops. This code covers the index finger and the long (middle) finger.

Both feet have lost all effective function. In 38 CFR 4.71a this is DC 5110, "Loss of use of both feet" — one row in the combinations-of-disabilities table, paying a single evaluation of 100 percent. It covers functional loss with the feet still present; anatomical loss of both feet is a separate entry, DC 5107, and one foot alone is DC 5167 at 40 percent.

Injury to the muscles that rotate the shoulder blade upward and raise the arm above shoulder level — the trapezius, levator scapulae and serratus magnus.

Injury to the muscles that hold the head of the upper arm bone in the shoulder socket and rotate the arm — the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis.

Injury to the flexor muscles on the palm side of the forearm — the muscles that bend the wrist and the fingers.

Injury to the small muscles inside the foot itself — the ones that move the forefoot and toes and give the push-off in walking.

Injury to the calf and back-of-the-leg muscles that point the foot down, hold up the arch, curl the toes and help bend the knee.

Injury to the muscles on the front of the shin that lift the foot and toes — the group whose loss causes foot drop.

Injury to the deep muscles that lift the thigh toward the chest — the psoas, iliacus and pectineus.

Injury to pelvic girdle group 2 — the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus, the buttock muscles that extend the hip, abduct the thigh and steady the pelvis when you stand and walk.

Injury to the sacrospinalis — the long erector-spinae muscle column running either side of the spine that holds the back upright.

Injury to the thoracic muscle group — the chest-wall muscles used in breathing.

Injury to the muscles at the front of the neck — the sternocleidomastoid, the hyoid group and their neighbours — which turn the head forward and to the side and help with breathing and swallowing.

A muscle hernia is a bulge of muscle tissue pushing through a tear or weak spot in the fascia that sheathes the muscle, usually visible or palpable at the site and most often following a specific strain, trauma or surgery.

Osteomalacia is softening of the bones from defective mineralization, usually due to vitamin D deficiency, causing bone pain, proximal muscle weakness and, when advanced, fractures. The schedule titles DC 5014 "Osteomalacia, residuals of" and rates those residuals on limitation of motion of the affected parts.

Post-traumatic arthritis is joint degeneration that follows a specific injury — a fracture, dislocation or major ligament tear — rather than ordinary wear. Since February 7, 2021 DC 5010 has had no ladder of its own: the schedule reads "Rate as limitation of motion, dislocation, or other specified instability under the affected joint", so the percentage comes entirely from the injured joint's own diagnostic code and differs joint by joint.

Residual symptoms after removal of the semilunar cartilage — the meniscus — of the knee, whether the surgery was a partial or total meniscectomy. The code pays a single 10 percent evaluation, and it turns on the knee still being symptomatic after the operation, not on the operation itself.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the lining of the joints, causing inflammation, swelling and progressive joint damage, along with systemic effects such as fatigue, weight loss and anemia. VA rates it under DC 5002, which the schedule titles "Multi-joint arthritis (except post-traumatic and gout), 2 or more joints, as an active process" and whose Note (1) names rheumatoid arthritis as an example of what the code covers.

The sacroiliac joints connect the base of the spine to the pelvis, and injury or weakness there can cause chronic lower back and hip pain, especially with lifting, twisting, or prolonged standing. It's commonly linked to lifting injuries or repetitive strain from carrying gear during service.

Your shoulder joint has been replaced with a prosthesis, and VA evaluates the result under diagnostic code 5051. This code splits its evaluations by extremity: identical residuals are worth more on your dominant (major) arm than on your non-dominant (minor) arm.

Surgical joining of two or more vertebrae, limiting spinal motion.

This code covers loss of the forearm's rotation - turning the palm up (supination) and down (pronation). VA rates it by whether the rotation is lost to bone fusion and, if so, the position the hand is fixed in, or whether pronation or supination is only partly limited, and by which arm is dominant.

This diagnostic code covers limited hip and thigh extension - difficulty moving the leg backward from the hip - which is a distinct, specific measurement separate from general hip or thigh pain. Because there's only a single 10% rating tier for this code, the entire claim depends on documenting that the extension loss meets the specific threshold.

DC 5228 rates a thumb that still moves but cannot reach the fingers. The whole evaluation is one measurement: the gap left between the thumb pad and the fingers when the veteran tries to touch them. More than two inches is 20 percent, one to two inches is 10 percent, and less than an inch is 0.

When two digits of the same hand are ankylosed in an unfavorable position, the schedule stops rating them one finger at a time and rates the pair as a unit under DC 5219. Which two digits they are, and whether it is the dominant hand, set the evaluation: the thumb-plus-any-finger combination pays the most and a pair drawn from the long, ring and little fingers pays the least.

Broken or dislocated spinal bones that may limit movement or cause pain.

Your wrist joint has been replaced with a prosthesis, and VA evaluates the result under diagnostic code 5053. Severe chronic residuals are worth more on your dominant (major) side than on your non-dominant (minor) side, but the minimum is the same for either wrist.

A flail hip joint means the hip is unstable and can’t support the body properly.

This code rates impairment of the thigh through three specific hip motions — abduction (moving the leg out to the side), adduction (bringing it across the body) and rotation (turning the foot outward). Abduction is the motion that carries the higher evaluation, so it is the one most often left unmeasured.

Hip flexion limitation makes it difficult to walk, sit, squat, or bend at the waist.

Knee extension limits your ability to fully straighten your leg. This diagnostic code covers a specific, measurable limitation: how far you're able to straighten the knee. Unlike general knee pain, this rating is driven almost entirely by a precise angle measurement, so how and when that measurement is taken can significantly affect the outcome.

Loss of knee flexion makes it difficult to squat, sit, or use stairs.

DC 5262 covers impairment of the tibia and fibula — the two bones of the lower leg. Since the 2021 rewrite it rates two things directly: shin splints (medial tibial stress syndrome), graded almost entirely on how long they have been treated and what treatment has failed; and nonunion of the tibia and fibula with loose motion requiring a brace. If the bones healed but healed crooked, the schedule sends that malunion to the knee or ankle codes to be rated there.

A strain or sprain of the muscles and ligaments supporting the neck or lower back, causing pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion — often from lifting, impact, or repetitive strain during service.

Spinal stenosis is narrowing of the spinal canal that puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves.

Spondylolisthesis is when one vertebra slips forward over another, often causing back pain and nerve compression.

The common peroneal nerve is the modern anatomical name for what's also historically called the external popliteal nerve, so this code covers the same nerve responsible for lifting the foot (dorsiflexion) and is closely related to codes using that older terminology. Damage here is a common cause of foot drop.

The internal popliteal nerve is the traditional anatomical name for the tibial nerve at the level of the knee, before it branches further down the leg, so this code covers nerve damage at that higher, more proximal point, affecting movement and sensation throughout the lower leg and foot. If your rating decision uses this older terminology, the underlying nerve and evidence needed are closely related to the more distally-focused posterior tibial nerve codes.

Severe recurring headaches that may include nausea, light sensitivity, and inability to function.

Paralysis or weakness of the musculocutaneous nerve, affecting arm and elbow movement.

Damage to the sciatic nerve that causes leg weakness, pain, or paralysis.

Both hands have lost all effective function. In 38 CFR 4.71a this is DC 5109, "Loss of use of both hands" — one row in the combinations-of-disabilities table, paying a single evaluation of 100 percent. It is functional loss with the hands still present; anatomical loss of both hands is a separate entry, DC 5106.

This code rates loss of peripheral (side) vision specifically, using a Goldmann visual field test that measures how many degrees of your visual field remain, rather than the standard eye chart used for visual acuity. If your rating decision cites this code, requesting the correct field test, not just a routine eye exam, is essential to getting an accurate rating.

The anterior crural nerve is the traditional anatomical name for the femoral nerve, so this code covers the same nerve as femoral nerve paralysis - damage affecting the ability to extend the knee and the strength of the thigh muscles. If your rating decision uses this older terminology, the underlying condition and evidence needed are the same as for femoral nerve paralysis.

This code covers epilepsy, a neurological condition causing recurrent seizures from abnormal electrical activity in the brain, and the rating is based almost entirely on how often major and minor seizures occur, even while on medication. A detailed seizure log is often the single most important piece of evidence for this claim.

The deep peroneal nerve controls the muscles that lift the foot and toes upward (dorsiflexion), and damage to it causes weakness or paralysis distinct from the more commonly discussed external popliteal (common peroneal) nerve. Because these nerve branches are frequently confused in medical records, clearly identifying the deep branch specifically matters for this claim.

This code covers the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (the external cutaneous nerve of the thigh), which provides sensation to the outer thigh but doesn't control muscle movement, so this condition causes numbness, tingling, or burning pain rather than weakness. Because it's a purely sensory nerve, the rating is capped at a lower level than motor nerve conditions.

The external popliteal (common peroneal) nerve runs behind the knee and controls the ability to lift the foot and toes upward. Damage to this nerve is a common cause of foot drop and is frequently linked to a knee injury, fracture, or nerve compression from the spine.

Damage to the femoral nerve that affects thigh movement and leg strength.

This code covers neuritis (inflammation) of the femoral nerve specifically, which is a different condition from femoral nerve paralysis - neuritis causes pain, numbness, or weakness from nerve irritation, without necessarily involving the same degree of motor loss as true paralysis. The rating scale and evidence needed are similar, but this code applies when inflammation, not structural nerve damage, is the primary issue.

Nerve damage near the groin, often causing numbness or pain in the lower abdomen or genitals.

Damage to the median nerve causing weakness, pain, or paralysis in the hand.

Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological sleep disorder that causes sudden, uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep during the day, along with disrupted, poor-quality sleep at night. Some veterans also experience cataplexy, a sudden loss of muscle tone triggered by strong emotion.

The posterior tibial nerve runs down the back of the calf and controls movement and sensation in the foot and toes. Damage to this nerve can cause numbness, tingling, weakness, or in severe cases the foot becoming fixed in a downward (plantar flexed) position, and it's most often linked to a specific leg injury or surgery.

Inflammation of the sciatic nerve, causing sharp pain down one leg or both legs.

Involuntary muscle movements or vocal sounds that occur repeatedly.

Damage to the ulnar nerve affecting the hand, especially the ring and pinky fingers, causing weakness, numbness, or loss of coordination.

Damage to the upper nerves in the shoulder, affecting arm and neck movement.

TBI results from head trauma and can cause lasting issues with memory, mood, sleep, and decision-making.

Nerve damage in the neck causing arm weakness, tingling, or loss of function.

Ongoing inflammation of the eye lining causing redness and discomfort.

A deviated septum is a physical displacement of the wall between the nostrils, which can partially or fully block airflow through one or both sides of the nose and make breathing, especially through the nose, difficult. The rating depends specifically on how much nasal airflow is obstructed, not just whether a deviation is visible on exam.

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases in which pressure inside the eye damages the optic nerve, narrowing the field of vision over time. The VA schedule codes it in two forms — open-angle glaucoma (DC 6013) and angle-closure glaucoma (DC 6012) — and gives them word-for-word identical rating instructions.

Angle-closure glaucoma occurs when the eye's drainage angle is blocked and pressure builds inside the eye, damaging the optic nerve. It is diagnostic code 6012, and the schedule gives it the same rating instruction as open-angle glaucoma (DC 6013).

Excessive tearing due to blocked tear ducts.

Partial or complete loss of the external ear (auricle).

Long-term infection or inflammation of the middle ear.

Inflammation of the retina causing vision problems or blindness.

Retinal damage due to exposure to toxic substances or medications.

Uveitis is inflammation inside the eye that can cause redness, pain, and vision problems.

A chronic lung condition that causes wheezing, coughing, and difficulty breathing due to inflamed airways.

A condition where airways in the lungs become permanently widened, leading to mucus buildup and infections.

Inflammation of the bronchial tubes causing persistent cough and mucus production.

Blockage in lung arteries typically caused by blood clots.

Allergic or vasomotor rhinitis causes chronic nasal congestion, runniness, and sneezing, either from allergens or from a non-allergic sensitivity to irritants like temperature changes or strong smells. The VA rating is based specifically on nasal airflow obstruction and the presence of nasal polyps, not on the severity of sneezing or congestion alone.

Chronic pansinusitis is inflammation affecting all of the sinus cavities at once, causing recurring congestion, facial pressure, and infections that often require repeated antibiotic treatment. It's presumptively linked to Gulf War-era burn pit exposure for veterans who served in the Southwest Asia theater.

Sleep apnea is a disorder where breathing repeatedly stops or becomes shallow during sleep, fragmenting rest and often leading to loud snoring, daytime fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. Left untreated, it's also linked to higher blood pressure and heart strain, which is part of why the VA rates it based on treatment need rather than just the diagnosis.

Gout is a crystalline arthritis in which uric acid crystals deposit in joints, causing sudden, intensely painful attacks — classically in the big toe — and, over time, joint damage. VA rates it under DC 5017 on limitation of motion of the joints it affects.

Benign skin neoplasms are non-cancerous growths of the skin. DC 7819 does not rate the growth itself and states no percentages: its single instruction is to "Rate as disfigurement of the head, face, or neck (DC 7800), scars (DC's 7801, 7802, 7803, 7804, or 7805), or impairment of function." So the evaluation comes from what the growth, or its removal, leaves behind — disfigurement, a scar, or lost function — and the evidence has to describe that residual, not just the lesion.

A chronic skin condition causing rashes, redness, itching, or flaking, often worsened by allergens or stress.

Fungal skin infections affecting feet, nails, groin, or body.

DC 7802 covers burn scars, and scars from any other cause, that are not on the head, face, or neck and that are not associated with underlying soft tissue damage. It is the counterpart to DC 7801, and the difference between the two codes is that association — not the burn origin, and not how superficial the scar looks. This code offers one evaluation only: 10 percent, and only where the scar or scars cover an area of 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) or greater.

Visible scarring or distortion of the face, head, or neck.

Lupus vulgaris is tuberculosis of the skin. The schedule lists it as "Tuberculosis luposa (lupus vulgaris), active or inactive," so the code covers the disease in either state. DC 7811 states no percentages of its own: its entire entry is the instruction "Rate under §§ 4.88c or 4.89, whichever is appropriate," so the evaluation comes from those sections rather than from anything in this code.

DC 7801 covers burn scars, and scars from any other cause, that are not on the head, face, or neck and that are associated with underlying soft tissue damage. That association with the tissue beneath the scar is what places a scar under this code rather than DC 7802 — not how deep the scar looks and not whether it runs in a straight line. The rating is then set by area: how much of the body the qualifying scar or scars cover, starting at 6 square inches (39 sq. cm.).

Scars that don’t fall into standard categories but still cause pain or limitation.

DC 7804 evaluates scars that are unstable, painful, or both, and it rates them by count — how many scars qualify, not their size, location, or appearance. Note (1) defines an unstable scar as one where, for any reason, there is frequent loss of covering of skin over the scar. A painful scar and an unstable scar count the same toward the tier, and where a single scar is both, Note (2) adds 10 percent on top.