YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Ankylosis of the Elbow VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Ankylosis of the Elbow under diagnostic code 5205, in 38 CFR § 4.71a (musculoskeletal system), and the schedule provides four evaluation levels for it: 60%, 50%, 40% and 30%.
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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 Ankylosis of the Elbow
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.
Diagnostic code 5205 rates ankylosis - fusion - of the elbow, in two columns for the major (dominant) and the minor (non-dominant) extremity. Unfavorable ankylosis, at an angle of less than 50 degrees or with complete loss of supination or pronation, is 60 percent major and 50 percent minor. Intermediate ankylosis, at an angle of more than 90 degrees or between 70 and 50 degrees, is 50 percent major and 40 percent minor. Favorable ankylosis, at an angle between 90 and 70 degrees, is 40 percent major and 30 percent minor. Those three rows are the whole code - 60 percent is the highest evaluation DC 5205 produces - and complete loss of supination or pronation reaches the unfavorable row on its own, even where the fixed angle alone would not.
- Diagnostic code
- 5205
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.71a
- Schedule levels
- 60%, 50%, 40% and 30%
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
Ankylosis of the Elbow VA rating criteria (DC 5205)
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 Ankylosis of the Elbow 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 Ankylosis of the Elbow?
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 Ankylosis of the Elbow 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 5205 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 Ankylosis of the Elbow 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
Include goniometer data specifically documenting the exact fixed angle, since this precise measurement determines which rating tier applies.
- 02
Show functional impact clearly - what tasks become impossible with the elbow fixed at this angle - since this context supports the clinical measurement.
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind2 tips
- 01
Missing joint angle data, which is central to how this rating is determined.
- 02
No range-of-motion tests performed to confirm the exact degree of fixation.
Common filing mistakes2 tips
- 01
Only describing pain rather than documenting the actual fixed angle.
- 02
No measurement proof to support the claimed severity tier.
When symptoms may first appear1 tips
- 01
Elbow ankylosis commonly follows a severe trauma or a surgical procedure that fused the joint.
THE BROADER PICTURE
Ankylosis of the Elbow by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- Moderate
- Veterans service-connected
- ~1,100 veterans
- Typical rating awarded
- ~50%
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 Ankylosis of the Elbow
Is Ankylosis of the Elbow a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Ankylosis of the Elbow under VASRD diagnostic code 5205 (Musculoskeletal System). 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.
What VA disability rating can I get for Ankylosis of the Elbow?
Possible VA ratings for Ankylosis of the Elbow are 60%, 50%, 40%, 30%, 0%. The 0% level comes from 38 CFR 4.31, which assigns it wherever no compensable level is met. Examples: 60%: Unfavorable ankylosis, at an angle of less than 50° or with complete loss of supination or pronation - major (dominant) extremity; 50%: Unfavorable ankylosis, at an angle of less than 50° or with complete loss of supination or pronation - minor (non-dominant) extremity; or intermediate ankylosis, at an angle of more than 90° or between 70° and 50° - major (dominant) extremity; 40%: Intermediate ankylosis, at an angle of more than 90° or between 70° and 50° - minor (non-dominant) extremity; or favorable ankylosis, at an angle between 90° and 70° - major (dominant) extremity.
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Ankylosis of the Elbow?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Ankylosis of the Elbow at around 50%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 1,100 veterans are service-connected for Ankylosis of the Elbow. Estimated approval outlook: Moderate.
What evidence helps prove Ankylosis of the Elbow for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Ankylosis of the Elbow claim includes: X-rays or CT confirming true bony ankylosis of the elbow and the angle at which the joint is fixed; Goniometer measurements recording that fixed angle, together with supination and pronation measurements, since complete loss of forearm rotation reaches the unfavorable row by itself; Documentation of which arm is dominant, since every row of this code pays 10 percent more in the major extremity than in the minor one.
Which DBQ is used for Ankylosis of the Elbow?
VA's Elbow & Forearm 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 Ankylosis of the Elbow?
Common pitfalls when filing for Ankylosis of the Elbow: Only describing pain rather than documenting the actual fixed angle; No measurement proof to support the claimed severity tier.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.71a, Schedule of ratings, musculoskeletal system (Diagnostic Code 5205)
- 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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