YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Knee, Ankylosis VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Knee, Ankylosis under diagnostic code 5256, 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 Knee, Ankylosis
Knee is stiff or frozen in one position due to injury, arthritis, or surgery.
Every evaluation under this code is set by the angle at which the knee is fixed, and the scale runs the opposite way to intuition: a knee fused straight (full extension, or slight flexion between 0° and 10°) rates 30 percent because it is the most usable position, while a knee fused bent at 45° or more rates 60 percent. Between those, 10°-20° of flexion rates 40 percent and 20°-45° rates 50 percent. True ankylosis — a joint that is fixed — is required; a stiff but still-moving knee is rated under the limitation-of-motion codes (5260, 5261) instead.
- Diagnostic code
- 5256
- 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
Knee, Ankylosis VA rating criteria (DC 5256)
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.
Every knee code on one page, each one's criteria quotedBUILD YOUR EVIDENCE, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Evidence for your Knee, Ankylosis 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 Knee, Ankylosis?
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 Knee, Ankylosis 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 5256 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 Knee, Ankylosis 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
Clarify whether the knee is surgically fused or simply severely restricted, since true ankylosis (complete fusion) is rated differently and more severely than limited range of motion.
- 02
Submit imaging and range-of-motion measurements together, since the specific angle of fixation is what determines the rating tier.
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind2 tips
- 01
A knee that appears stiff but can still bend somewhat, which may not meet the true ankylosis (complete fixation) standard this code requires.
- 02
Documentation of painful motion rather than actual immobility, which points to a different, less severe rating code.
Common filing mistakes2 tips
- 01
Confusing significant pain with true immobility, since this code specifically requires a joint that's fixed in place, not just painful to move.
- 02
No imaging to verify the fixed position and its exact angle.
When symptoms may first appear1 tips
- 01
Knee ankylosis commonly follows repeated injury, severe arthritis, or a surgical fusion procedure performed to address an otherwise unmanageable joint.
THE BROADER PICTURE
Knee, Ankylosis by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- High when imaging confirms fixed position.
- Veterans service-connected
- ~4,100 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 Knee, Ankylosis
Is Knee, Ankylosis a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Knee, Ankylosis under VASRD diagnostic code 5256 (Musculoskeletal System). Knee is stiff or frozen in one position due to injury, arthritis, or surgery.
What VA disability rating can I get for Knee, Ankylosis?
Possible VA ratings for Knee, Ankylosis 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%: Extremely unfavorable ankylosis, in flexion at an angle of 45° or more; 50%: Ankylosis in flexion between 20° and 45°; 40%: Ankylosis in flexion between 10° and 20°.
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Knee, Ankylosis?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Knee, Ankylosis at around 40%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 4,100 veterans are service-connected for Knee, Ankylosis. Estimated approval outlook: High when imaging confirms fixed position.
What evidence helps prove Knee, Ankylosis for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Knee, Ankylosis claim includes: An orthopedic specialist's report confirming the ankylosis and its angle; Surgical records, if the fusion was performed surgically.
Which DBQ is used for Knee, Ankylosis?
VA's Knee and Lower Leg 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 Knee, Ankylosis?
Common pitfalls when filing for Knee, Ankylosis: Confusing significant pain with true immobility, since this code specifically requires a joint that's fixed in place, not just painful to move; No imaging to verify the fixed position and its exact angle.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.71a, Schedule of ratings, musculoskeletal system (Diagnostic Code 5256)
- 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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