YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Amputation of Arm, Below Insertion of Deltoid VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Amputation of Arm, Below Insertion of Deltoid under diagnostic code 5122, in 38 CFR § 4.71a (musculoskeletal system), and the schedule provides two evaluation levels for it: 80% and 70%.
Free · No account needed
Save your Amputation of Arm, Below Insertion of Deltoid guide
Email yourself this Amputation of Arm, Below Insertion of Deltoid 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 Amputation of Arm, Below Insertion of Deltoid
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).
DC 5122's single criterion row is "Below insertion of deltoid", rated 80 percent in the major (dominant) column and 70 percent in the minor (non-dominant) column. The row states no lower boundary; the table supplies it, because the entry that follows DC 5122 is the context heading "Forearm, amputation of:" ahead of DC 5123, "Above insertion of pronator teres". So DC 5122 is the upper-arm segment below the deltoid insertion, and an amputation in the forearm is rated under DC 5123 or DC 5124 instead. Once the level fixes the code, only hand dominance moves the evaluation.
- Diagnostic code
- 5122
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.71a
- Schedule levels
- 80% and 70%
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
Amputation of Arm, Below Insertion of Deltoid VA rating criteria (DC 5122)
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 Amputation of Arm, Below Insertion of Deltoid 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 Amputation of Arm, Below Insertion of Deltoid?
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.
SMALL DETAILS. BETTER PREPARATION.
Preparing your Amputation of Arm, Below Insertion of Deltoid 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 claim2 tips
- 01
Get the operative report to fix the amputation level relative to the deltoid insertion; that one fact selects the diagnostic code and with it both percentages.
- 02
Establish hand dominance explicitly in the record, since it is the only thing separating 80 percent from 70.
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind2 tips
- 01
Records that do not place the amputation relative to the deltoid insertion, which is what separates this code from DC 5121 above it.
- 02
Rating by hand dominance with nothing in the file establishing which hand is dominant.
Common filing mistakes2 tips
- 01
No distinction made between the dominant and non-dominant side.
- 02
Lack of prosthesis use documentation.
When symptoms may first appear1 tips
- 01
This type of amputation commonly results from combat injury, an accident, or surgery following a severe infection.
THE BROADER PICTURE
Amputation of Arm, Below Insertion of Deltoid by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- Very high with amputation record.
- Veterans service-connected
- ~150 veterans
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 Amputation of Arm, Below Insertion of Deltoid
Is Amputation of Arm, Below Insertion of Deltoid a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Amputation of Arm, Below Insertion of Deltoid under VASRD diagnostic code 5122 (Musculoskeletal System). 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).
What VA disability rating can I get for Amputation of Arm, Below Insertion of Deltoid?
Possible VA ratings for Amputation of Arm, Below Insertion of Deltoid are 80%, 70%, 0%. The 0% level comes from 38 CFR 4.31, which assigns it wherever no compensable level is met. Examples: 80%: Below insertion of deltoid - dominant (major) upper extremity; 70%: Below insertion of deltoid - non-dominant (minor) upper extremity.
What evidence helps prove Amputation of Arm, Below Insertion of Deltoid for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Amputation of Arm, Below Insertion of Deltoid claim includes: Surgical reports; Occupational therapy notes documenting functional recovery.
Which DBQ is used for Amputation of Arm, Below Insertion of Deltoid?
VA's Amputations 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 Amputation of Arm, Below Insertion of Deltoid?
Common pitfalls when filing for Amputation of Arm, Below Insertion of Deltoid: No distinction made between the dominant and non-dominant side; Lack of prosthesis use documentation.
What conditions can be secondary to Amputation of Arm, Below Insertion of Deltoid?
Conditions that can be service-connected as secondary to Amputation of Arm, Below Insertion of Deltoid, when a medical opinion links them, include: PTSD. A secondary condition gets its own rating, which VA combines with the veteran's other ratings under 38 CFR 4.25.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.71a, Schedule of ratings, musculoskeletal system (Diagnostic Code 5122)
- 38 CFR § 4.7, higher of two evaluations
- 38 CFR § 4.31, zero percent evaluations
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