VASRD 5017 · Rheumatologic / Musculoskeletal
Gout VA Disability Rating
Gout is a crystalline arthritis in which uric acid crystals deposit in joints, causing sudden, intensely painful attacks — classically in the big toe — and, over time, joint damage. VA rates it under DC 5017 on limitation of motion of the joints it affects.
VA Rating Tiers
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 10% | Per joint, when motion is limited but not enough to rate on its own |
| 0% | Service-connected, but no compensable joint limitation |
How the VA Evaluates Gout
DC 5017 has no percentage criteria of its own. The whole of its rating rule is the note that closes its block: "Evaluate the diseases under diagnostic codes 5013 through 5024 as degenerative arthritis, based on limitation of motion of affected parts." That routes to DC 5003, which rates "on the basis of limitation of motion under the appropriate diagnostic codes for the specific joint or joints involved (DC 5200 etc.)" — so the percentage is whatever the affected joint's own code provides, and it differs joint by joint. There is no single ladder. Only where that joint's limitation of motion is noncompensable does a fixed 10 percent apply, per joint, combined rather than added. DC 5003's own X-ray-based 20 and 10 percent ratings are expressly unavailable here: "Note (2): The 20 pct and 10 pct ratings based on X-ray findings, above, will not be utilized in rating conditions listed under diagnostic codes 5013 to 5024, inclusive." 38 CFR 4.45(f) defines which joints count — shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee and ankle are major joints, and specified finger, toe and vertebral groups are groups of minor joints. 38 CFR 4.59 supplies a floor: actually painful, unstable or malaligned joints are "entitled to at least the minimum compensable rating for the joint." Because the evaluation is assigned on the residual condition, a decision letter normally shows a hyphenated code such as 5017-5271 rather than a bare 5017 (38 CFR 4.27).
Approval outlook
Moderate (~55%) with rheumatology history.
Veterans service-connected
~3,000 veterans
Vetrify editorial estimates informed by VA published claims data (VBA Annual Benefits Report) and the VA rating schedule — not official VA statistics.
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Best Evidence to Gather
- •Rheumatology treatment history documenting the diagnosis and its management.
- •Uric acid bloodwork tracking levels over time.
- •A rheumatologist's diagnosis confirming gout.
- •Synovial fluid analysis showing urate crystals, the definitive diagnostic test.
- •Documentation of the frequency and severity of attacks over time.
Strategy Tips
- •Get range-of-motion measured for each joint gout has damaged, and make sure the examiner records it. Since February 7, 2021 the percentage comes from the affected joint's limitation of motion, not from how often you flare.
- •Ask that painful motion be documented specifically. 38 CFR 4.59 entitles an actually painful joint to at least the minimum compensable rating for that joint.
- •List every affected joint separately. Each major joint or group of minor joints with noncompensable limitation of motion carries its own 10 percent, combined rather than added.
- •Keep uric acid results and any synovial fluid analysis in the file — they establish the diagnosis, even though they do not set the percentage.
C&P Exam Pitfalls
- •Being examined between attacks with no range-of-motion deficit recorded, so nothing supports a compensable evaluation.
- •An examiner documenting attack history in detail but omitting joint measurements, which is the evidence the current criteria actually turn on.
Common Filing Mistakes
- •Building the claim around flare frequency. VA removed gout from the exacerbation-frequency ladder on February 7, 2021; DC 5002 is now titled "Multi-joint arthritis (except post-traumatic and gout)" and DC 5009 "Other specified forms of arthropathy (excluding gout)".
- •Filing without any range-of-motion findings, which leaves the only rating criterion the code uses undocumented.
- •Not claiming every joint involved, since each one can carry its own evaluation.
Onset Patterns
- •Gout is influenced by diet, genetics, and sometimes medication side effects, and attacks classically come on suddenly.
- •Gout attacks classically come on suddenly, often at night, and most frequently affect the big toe first before potentially involving other joints over time.
Secondary Conditions
Conditions commonly linked to Gout. Service-connecting a secondary condition can increase your combined rating.
Common questions about Gout
- Is Gout a VA-rated disability?
- Yes. The VA rates Gout under VASRD diagnostic code 5017 (Rheumatologic / Musculoskeletal). Gout is a crystalline arthritis in which uric acid crystals deposit in joints, causing sudden, intensely painful attacks — classically in the big toe — and, over time, joint damage. VA rates it under DC 5017 on limitation of mot…
- What VA disability rating can I get for Gout?
- Possible VA ratings for Gout are 10%, 0%. Examples: 10%: Per joint, when motion is limited but not enough to rate on its own; 0%: Service-connected, but no compensable joint limitation.
- What evidence helps prove Gout for VA disability?
- Strong evidence for a Gout claim includes: Rheumatology treatment history documenting the diagnosis and its management.; Uric acid bloodwork tracking levels over time.; A rheumatologist's diagnosis confirming gout.; Synovial fluid analysis showing urate crystals, the definitive diagnostic test..
- What mistakes should veterans avoid when claiming Gout?
- Common pitfalls when filing for Gout: Building the claim around flare frequency. VA removed gout from the exacerbation-frequency ladder on February 7, 2021; DC 5002 is now titled "Multi-joint arthritis (except post-traumatic and gout)" and DC 5009 "Other specified forms of arthropathy (excluding gout)".; Filing withou…
- What conditions are commonly secondary to Gout?
- Conditions often service-connected as secondary to Gout include: Kidney Stones, Ankle or Knee Arthritis. Filing for secondary conditions can increase a veteran's combined VA rating.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.71a — Schedule of ratings — musculoskeletal system (Diagnostic Code 5017)
Rating criteria on this page are an educational summary of the cited regulation — the eCFR text is authoritative. See how Vetrify derives its numbers.
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