YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Ankylosis of the Wrist VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Ankylosis of the Wrist under diagnostic code 5214, in 38 CFR § 4.71a (musculoskeletal system), and the schedule provides four evaluation levels for it: 50%, 40%, 30% and 20%.
Free · No account needed
Save your Ankylosis of the Wrist guide
Email yourself this Ankylosis of the Wrist 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 Ankylosis of the Wrist
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.
DC 5214 has three rating rows, each with a major (dominant) and a minor (non-dominant) value. Unfavorable ankylosis - in any degree of palmar flexion, or with ulnar or radial deviation - is 50 percent major and 40 percent minor. Any other position except favorable is 40 major and 30 minor. Favorable ankylosis in 20 to 30 degrees of dorsiflexion is 30 major and 20 minor. The position the wrist is fixed in is what moves the evaluation, so the exam has to record the fixed angle and the direction of any ulnar or radial deviation, and the file has to establish hand dominance. The code closes with a note: 'Extremely unfavorable ankylosis will be rated as loss of use of hands under diagnostic code 5125', which is 70 percent for the dominant hand and 60 for the non-dominant one.
- Diagnostic code
- 5214
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.71a
- Schedule levels
- 50%, 40%, 30% 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
Ankylosis of the Wrist VA rating criteria (DC 5214)
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.
IN THE REGULATION’S OWN WORDS
What 38 CFR also says about Ankylosis of the Wrist
The notes 38 CFR Part 4 prints with these criteria, quoted. They govern how the evaluation is made without being a rating level themselves.
- “Note: Extremely unfavorable ankylosis will be rated as loss of use of hands under diagnostic code 5125.”DC 5214
BUILD YOUR EVIDENCE, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Evidence for your Ankylosis of the Wrist 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 Wrist?
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 Wrist 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 5214 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 Wrist 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 angle of fixation in degrees
- 02
Get a functional impact report from an occupational therapist
- 03
Specify whether dominant or non-dominant wrist is affected
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind3 tips
- 01
Not stating dominant hand
- 02
Failure to describe position of fixation
- 03
No clinical imaging submitted
Common filing mistakes3 tips
- 01
Leaving out radiographic proof
- 02
Omitting effect on daily activities
- 03
Failing to differentiate favorable vs. unfavorable
When symptoms may first appear2 tips
- 01
Usually from severe wrist fracture or surgical fusion
- 02
Can occur over time from advanced rheumatoid arthritis
THE BROADER PICTURE
Ankylosis of the Wrist by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- Moderate – higher if dominant hand affected and imaging provided.
- Veterans service-connected
- ~5,400 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 Ankylosis of the Wrist
Is Ankylosis of the Wrist a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Ankylosis of the Wrist under VASRD diagnostic code 5214 (Musculoskeletal System). 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.
What VA disability rating can I get for Ankylosis of the Wrist?
Possible VA ratings for Ankylosis of the Wrist are 50%, 40%, 30%, 20%, 0%. The 0% level comes from 38 CFR 4.31, which assigns it wherever no compensable level is met. Examples: 50%: Unfavorable ankylosis of the dominant (major) wrist - fixed in any degree of palmar flexion, or with ulnar or radial deviation; 40%: Unfavorable ankylosis - in any degree of palmar flexion, or with ulnar or radial deviation - of the non-dominant (minor) wrist; or ankylosis of the dominant (major) wrist in any position other than favorable; 30%: Ankylosis of the non-dominant (minor) wrist in any position other than favorable; or ankylosis of the dominant (major) wrist favorable in 20 to 30 degrees of dorsiflexion.
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Ankylosis of the Wrist?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Ankylosis of the Wrist at around 40%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 5,400 veterans are service-connected for Ankylosis of the Wrist. Estimated approval outlook: Moderate – higher if dominant hand affected and imaging provided.
What evidence helps prove Ankylosis of the Wrist for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Ankylosis of the Wrist claim includes: X-rays or CT confirming bony ankylosis of the wrist; An examination that records the exact angle the wrist is fixed at and any ulnar or radial deviation; Documentation of hand dominance, since every row of DC 5214 differs between the major and minor columns; Occupational therapy or functional-use notes describing what the fixed wrist prevents.
Which DBQ is used for Ankylosis of the Wrist?
VA's Wrist 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 Wrist?
Common pitfalls when filing for Ankylosis of the Wrist: Leaving out radiographic proof; Omitting effect on daily activities; Failing to differentiate favorable vs. unfavorable.
What conditions can be secondary to Ankylosis of the Wrist?
Conditions that can be service-connected as secondary to Ankylosis of the Wrist, when a medical opinion links them, include: Tendonitis. 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 5214)
- 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.
VA Calc: Disability Pay
Combine your ratings & see monthly pay on your iPhone · Works offline