YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Ankle Replacement (Prosthesis) VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Ankle Replacement (Prosthesis) under diagnostic code 5056, in 38 CFR § 4.71a (musculoskeletal system), and the schedule provides three evaluation levels for it: 100%, 40% and 20%.
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A CLEARER PATH FORWARD
Make sense of your next step.
01Understand the rating02Know what to gather03Plan your preparationTHE ESSENTIALS
How the VA rates Ankle Replacement (Prosthesis)
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.
Diagnostic code 5056 covers prosthetic replacement of the ankle joint. A 100 percent evaluation is assigned for 1 year following implantation of prosthesis. After that year, chronic residuals consisting of severe painful motion or weakness are evaluated at 40 percent, and the minimum rating is 20 percent. The schedule directs that intermediate degrees of residual weakness, pain or limitation of motion be rated by analogy to diagnostic code 5270 or 5271 rather than at an intermediate percentage under this code.
- Diagnostic code
- 5056
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.71a
- Schedule levels
- 100%, 40% and 20%
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
Ankle Replacement (Prosthesis) VA rating criteria (DC 5056)
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 Ankle Replacement (Prosthesis) 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 Ankle Replacement (Prosthesis)?
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.
THE EVERYDAY PICTURE
What the Ankle Replacement (Prosthesis) examination has to record
The criteria above are read off an examination, and three sections of Part 4 govern what that examination has to contain. None of them is a diagnostic code, so none of them appears in the 5056 table, and all three apply to it. 38 CFR § 4.40: “Weakness is as important as limitation of motion, and a part which becomes painful on use must be regarded as seriously disabled.”
38 CFR § 4.45 lists what an examination of a joint is directed to consider:
- Less movement than normal (due to ankylosis, limitation or blocking, adhesions, tendon-tie-up, contracted scars, etc.).
- More movement than normal (from flail joint, resections, nonunion of fracture, relaxation of ligaments, etc.).
- Weakened movement (due to muscle injury, disease or injury of peripheral nerves, divided or lengthened tendons, etc.).
- Excess fatigability.
- Incoordination, impaired ability to execute skilled movements smoothly.
- Pain on movement, swelling, deformity or atrophy of disuse.
38 CFR § 4.59: “It is the intention to recognize actually painful, unstable, or malaligned joints, due to healed injury, as entitled to at least the minimum compensable rating for the joint.” So a joint that is painful on use is not a finding of nothing, even where the measured motion is close to normal.
The same section says how the joint is to be tested: “The joints involved should be tested for pain on both active and passive motion, in weight-bearing and nonweight-bearing and, if possible, with the range of the opposite undamaged joint.” An examination that records one measurement, taken once, sitting down, has not done what the section asks, and that is worth reading the exam report for.
SMALL DETAILS. BETTER PREPARATION.
Preparing your Ankle Replacement (Prosthesis) 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 claim3 tips
- 01
Include clear post-op records establishing the implantation date, which is what starts the 1-year 100 percent period
- 02
Document daily limitations from ankle symptoms after the first year, since that is what the 40 and 20 percent evaluations turn on
- 03
If your residuals fall between the minimum and severe chronic residuals, ask that they be considered by analogy to diagnostic code 5270 or 5271, which is what the schedule directs for intermediate degrees
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind2 tips
- 01
Not reporting lingering painful motion or weakness after the 1-year period, which is what the 40 percent evaluation requires
- 02
Lack of documentation showing how the replaced ankle limits function
Common filing mistakes3 tips
- 01
Reading the 100 percent evaluation as a severity rating. Under this code 100 percent runs for 1 year following implantation; the highest ongoing evaluation is 40 percent for severe chronic residuals.
- 02
No documentation of surgery
- 03
Not showing how the ankle limits function or work
When symptoms may first appear2 tips
- 01
Usually follows years of degeneration or trauma
- 02
Symptoms often return if joint function declines
THE BROADER PICTURE
Ankle Replacement (Prosthesis) by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- Moderate – improves with surgical records and mobility tests.
- Veterans service-connected
- ~3,200 veterans
- Typical rating awarded
- ~40%
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 Ankle Replacement (Prosthesis)
Is Ankle Replacement (Prosthesis) a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Ankle Replacement (Prosthesis) under VASRD diagnostic code 5056 (Musculoskeletal System). 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.
What VA disability rating can I get for Ankle Replacement (Prosthesis)?
Possible VA ratings for Ankle Replacement (Prosthesis) are 100%, 40%, 20%, 0%. The 0% level comes from 38 CFR 4.31, which assigns it wherever no compensable level is met. Examples: 100%: Prosthetic replacement of ankle joint: for 1 year following implantation of prosthesis; 40%: Prosthetic replacement of ankle joint: with chronic residuals consisting of severe painful motion or weakness; 20%: Prosthetic replacement of ankle joint: minimum rating.
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Ankle Replacement (Prosthesis)?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Ankle Replacement (Prosthesis) at around 40%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 3,200 veterans are service-connected for Ankle Replacement (Prosthesis). Estimated approval outlook: Moderate – improves with surgical records and mobility tests.
What evidence helps prove Ankle Replacement (Prosthesis) for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Ankle Replacement (Prosthesis) claim includes: Surgical report of ankle replacement; Follow-up orthopedic exams; Gait analysis or physical therapy reports.
Which DBQ is used for Ankle Replacement (Prosthesis)?
VA's Ankle 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 Ankle Replacement (Prosthesis)?
Common pitfalls when filing for Ankle Replacement (Prosthesis): Reading the 100 percent evaluation as a severity rating. Under this code 100 percent runs for 1 year following implantation; the highest ongoing evaluation is 40 percent for severe chronic residuals; No documentation of surgery; Not showing how the ankle limits function or work.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.71a, Schedule of ratings, musculoskeletal system (Diagnostic Code 5056)
- 38 CFR § 4.7, higher of two evaluations
- 38 CFR § 4.31, zero percent evaluations
- 38 CFR § 4.40, functional loss
- 38 CFR § 4.45, the joints
- 38 CFR § 4.59, painful motion
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.
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