YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Foot Injuries, Other VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Foot Injuries, Other under diagnostic code 5284, in 38 CFR § 4.71a (musculoskeletal system), and the schedule provides three evaluation levels for it: 30%, 20% and 10%.
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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 Foot Injuries, Other
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.
The schedule grades this code by severity alone: moderate residuals rate 10 percent, moderately severe rate 20 percent, and severe rate 30 percent. It defines none of those three words, which is unusual and consequential — there is no measurement to meet, so the evaluation rests entirely on how the examination characterises the residuals of the injury and what they stop the foot from doing. A note to the code adds that with actual loss of use of the foot, rate 40 percent; loss of use of a foot is also rated in its own right under DC 5167. Where a more specific foot code fits the diagnosis — plantar fasciitis (5269), acquired flatfoot (5276), claw foot (5278), metatarsalgia (5279), hallux valgus (5280), hammer toe (5282), or malunion or nonunion of the tarsal or metatarsal bones (5283) — that code is used instead of this one.
- Diagnostic code
- 5284
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.71a
- Schedule levels
- 30%, 20% and 10%
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
Foot Injuries, Other VA rating criteria (DC 5284)
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 Foot Injuries, Other
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: With actual loss of use of the foot, rate 40 percent.”DC 5284
BUILD YOUR EVIDENCE, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Evidence for your Foot Injuries, Other 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 Foot Injuries, Other?
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 Foot Injuries, Other 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 5284 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 Foot Injuries, Other 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
Submit gait evaluation or assistive device use
- 02
Document swelling, tenderness, or pain on use
- 03
List activities you avoid or modify due to the foot injury
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind3 tips
- 01
No functional description of walking or standing limits
- 02
Minimal clinical documentation or outdated imaging
- 03
Symptoms not tied to service injury
Common filing mistakes3 tips
- 01
Not describing daily limitations or use of supports
- 02
No linkage to service or injury documentation
- 03
Ignoring how foot condition affects work/life
When symptoms may first appear3 tips
- 01
Injury during ruck marches or jumps
- 02
Fractures or sprains that healed poorly
- 03
Wear and tear from years of service boots
YOUR SERVICE STORY
Military jobs associated with Foot Injuries, Other
More by branch: Army · Marines · Navy · Coast Guard · Space Force
THE BROADER PICTURE
Foot Injuries, Other by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- Moderate – depends on persistent symptoms and clinical documentation.
- Service-connected disabilities (VBA count)
- 365,775 disabilities
- Typical rating awarded
- ~20%
Count of service-connected disabilities from the VBA Annual Benefits Report (FY2025), as of September 30, 2025; the report counts disabilities, not veterans. Approval outlook and typical rating are Vetrify editorial estimates, not official VA statistics.
LET’S CLEAR A FEW THINGS UP
Common questions about Foot Injuries, Other
Is Foot Injury a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Foot Injuries, Other under VASRD diagnostic code 5284 (Musculoskeletal System). 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.
What VA disability rating can I get for Foot Injury?
Possible VA ratings for Foot Injuries, Other are 30%, 20%, 10%, 0%. The 0% level comes from 38 CFR 4.31, which assigns it wherever no compensable level is met. Examples: 30%: Severe residuals of a foot injury not rated under a more specific foot diagnostic code; 20%: Moderately severe residuals of a foot injury not rated under a more specific foot diagnostic code; 10%: Moderate residuals of a foot injury not rated under a more specific foot diagnostic code.
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Foot Injury?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Foot Injuries, Other at around 20%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. Per the VBA Annual Benefits Report (FY2025), veterans receiving VA compensation as of September 30, 2025 had 365,775 service-connected disabilities rated as Foot Injuries, Other. The report counts disabilities, not veterans. Estimated approval outlook: Moderate – depends on persistent symptoms and clinical documentation.
What evidence helps prove Foot Injury for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Foot Injuries, Other claim includes: Orthopedic exam showing severity and functional loss; Imaging (X-rays or MRIs) documenting fracture or deformity; Physical therapy records showing limitations in mobility.
Which DBQ is used for Foot Injury?
VA's Foot Conditions Including Flatfoot (Pes Planus) 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 Foot Injury?
Common pitfalls when filing for Foot Injuries, Other: Not describing daily limitations or use of supports; No linkage to service or injury documentation; Ignoring how foot condition affects work/life.
What conditions can be secondary to Foot Injury?
Conditions that can be service-connected as secondary to Foot Injuries, Other, when a medical opinion links them, include: Depression. 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 5284)
- 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
- VBA Annual Benefits Report (FY2025), service-connected disabilities count, as of September 30, 2025
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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