YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Humerus, Other Impairment VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Humerus, Other Impairment under diagnostic code 5202, in 38 CFR § 4.71a (musculoskeletal system), and the schedule provides seven evaluation levels for it: 80%, 70%, 60%, 50%, 40%, 30% and 20%.
Free · No account needed
Save your Humerus, Other Impairment guide
Email yourself this Humerus, Other Impairment 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 Humerus, Other Impairment
Arm bone injuries such as dislocation or malunion, affecting function and causing pain.
Diagnostic code 5202 covers impairment of the humerus other than ankylosis of the shoulder joint or simple limitation of arm motion, and it prints two columns - major (dominant) and minor (non-dominant) extremity. Its rows are: loss of the head of the humerus (flail shoulder), 80 percent major and 70 percent minor; nonunion of the humerus (false flail joint), 60 and 50; fibrous union of the humerus, 50 and 40; recurrent dislocation at the scapulohumeral joint with frequent episodes and guarding of all arm movements, 30 and 20; recurrent dislocation with infrequent episodes and guarding of movement only at shoulder level (flexion and/or abduction at 90 degrees), 20 in both columns; malunion with marked deformity, 30 and 20; and malunion with moderate deformity, 20 in both columns. Because several rows share a percentage, the evaluation turns on which row the imaging and examination findings satisfy rather than on a single severity scale.
- Diagnostic code
- 5202
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.71a
- Schedule levels
- 80%, 70%, 60%, 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
Humerus, Other Impairment VA rating criteria (DC 5202)
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 Humerus, Other Impairment 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 Humerus, Other Impairment?
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 Humerus, Other Impairment 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 5202 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 Humerus, Other Impairment 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
List the activities limited by the arm injury in detail, since functional impact adds context to the structural finding.
- 02
Track dislocation episodes if that's your specific issue, since frequency of dislocation is what supports that particular rating tier.
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind2 tips
- 01
Filing a claim without imaging to confirm which specific type of impairment applies.
- 02
No functional limitation reported, even though the different sub-types of this code rate very differently based on severity.
Common filing mistakes2 tips
- 01
Not describing how often dislocations occur, if that's the relevant issue.
- 02
Missing surgery records that would help establish the current state of the joint.
When symptoms may first appear1 tips
- 01
Humerus impairment often results from trauma, a fall, or repeated strain on the shoulder and upper arm during service.
THE BROADER PICTURE
Humerus, Other Impairment by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- High with imaging of joint damage.
- Veterans service-connected
- ~3,100 veterans
- Typical rating awarded
- ~30%
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 Humerus, Other Impairment
Is Humerus, Other Impairment a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Humerus, Other Impairment under VASRD diagnostic code 5202 (Musculoskeletal System). Arm bone injuries such as dislocation or malunion, affecting function and causing pain.
What VA disability rating can I get for Humerus, Other Impairment?
Possible VA ratings for Humerus, Other Impairment are 80%, 70%, 60%, 50%, 40%, 30%, 20%, 0%. The 0% level comes from 38 CFR 4.31, which assigns it wherever no compensable level is met. Examples: 80%: Loss of the head of the humerus (flail shoulder) - major (dominant) extremity; 70%: Loss of the head of the humerus (flail shoulder) - minor (non-dominant) extremity; 60%: Nonunion of the humerus (false flail joint) - major (dominant) extremity.
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Humerus, Other Impairment?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Humerus, Other Impairment at around 30%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 3,100 veterans are service-connected for Humerus, Other Impairment. Estimated approval outlook: High with imaging of joint damage.
What evidence helps prove Humerus, Other Impairment for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Humerus, Other Impairment claim includes: Imaging (X-rays or MRI) showing the specific type of bone or joint impairment; An orthopedic diagnosis identifying which category (dislocation, malunion, nonunion, or loss) applies.
Which DBQ is used for Humerus, Other Impairment?
VA's Shoulder and/or Arm 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 Humerus, Other Impairment?
Common pitfalls when filing for Humerus, Other Impairment: Not describing how often dislocations occur, if that's the relevant issue; Missing surgery records that would help establish the current state of the joint.
What conditions can be secondary to Humerus, Other Impairment?
Conditions that can be service-connected as secondary to Humerus, Other Impairment, when a medical opinion links them, include: Shoulder Arthritis. 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 5202)
- 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