YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Muscle Group XXI - Respiratory muscles VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Muscle Group XXI - Respiratory muscles under diagnostic code 5321, in 38 CFR § 4.73 (muscle injuries), and the schedule provides three evaluation levels for it: 20%, 10% and 0%.
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A CLEARER PATH FORWARD
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01Understand the rating02Know what to gather03Plan your preparationTHE ESSENTIALS
How the VA rates Muscle Group XXI - Respiratory muscles
Injury to the thoracic muscle group — the chest-wall muscles used in breathing.
Under 38 CFR 4.73, DC 5321 rates injury of Muscle Group XXI: the muscles of respiration, which the schedule identifies as the thoracic muscle group, with respiration as their stated function. Unlike every other muscle group in § 4.73, this code merges two steps of the severity scale into one evaluation: a severe OR moderately severe injury is 20 percent, a moderate injury is 10 percent, and a slight injury is 0 percent. Twenty percent is the highest evaluation DC 5321 provides. This is a rating for injury to the chest-wall muscles themselves, not a rating for lung or airway disease — a diagnosed respiratory disease is evaluated under its own diagnostic code in § 4.97.
- Diagnostic code
- 5321
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.73
- Schedule levels
- 20%, 10% and 0%
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.
EXPLORE THE PERCENTAGES
Muscle Group XXI - Respiratory muscles VA rating criteria (DC 5321)
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 Muscle Group XXI - Respiratory muscles 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 Muscle Group XXI - Respiratory muscles?
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.
SMALL DETAILS. BETTER PREPARATION.
Preparing your Muscle Group XXI - Respiratory muscles 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
Include PFT (pulmonary function test) results as core evidence, since this objective measurement is central to grading this condition's severity.
- 02
Log the daily activity impact of breathing difficulty, since this functional detail helps distinguish a muscle-based breathing impairment from general fatigue.
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind2 tips
- 01
Symptoms being attributed to general fatigue rather than a specific respiratory muscle impairment.
- 02
Not documenting the muscle involvement specifically.
Common filing mistakes2 tips
- 01
No respiratory testing included.
- 02
Lack of muscle grading to establish the severity.
When symptoms may first appear1 tips
- 01
Respiratory muscle damage under this code can be post-traumatic, from a chest injury, or develop from overuse or an underlying disease process affecting the chest wall muscles.
THE BROADER PICTURE
Muscle Group XXI - Respiratory muscles by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- Moderate
- Veterans service-connected
- ~1,500 veterans
- Typical rating awarded
- ~20%
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 Muscle Group XXI - Respiratory muscles
Is Muscle Group XXI - Respiratory muscles a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Muscle Group XXI - Respiratory muscles under VASRD diagnostic code 5321 (Muscle Injuries). Injury to the thoracic muscle group — the chest-wall muscles used in breathing.
What VA disability rating can I get for Muscle Group XXI - Respiratory muscles?
Possible VA ratings for Muscle Group XXI - Respiratory muscles are 20%, 10%, 0%. Examples: 20%: Severe or moderately severe injury of Muscle Group XXI. The schedule pays these two steps at the same evaluation, and 20 percent is the ceiling for this code; 10%: Moderate injury of Muscle Group XXI; 0%: Slight injury of Muscle Group XXI.
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Muscle Group XXI - Respiratory muscles?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Muscle Group XXI - Respiratory muscles at around 20%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 1,500 veterans are service-connected for Muscle Group XXI - Respiratory muscles. Estimated approval outlook: Moderate.
What evidence helps prove Muscle Group XXI - Respiratory muscles for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Muscle Group XXI - Respiratory muscles claim includes: Service treatment records documenting the chest-wall injury — a penetrating wound, blast injury, rib fracture or thoracic surgery — and how deep it went; An operative or surgical report describing loss of muscle substance, debridement, or scarring and adhesion within the thoracic muscle group; Imaging of the chest wall showing the extent of muscle damage or retained foreign bodies; A C&P muscle-injury examination that grades the injury as slight, moderate, moderately severe or severe, since that grade is what the code turns on.
Which DBQ is used for Muscle Group XXI - Respiratory muscles?
VA's Muscle Injuries 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 Muscle Group XXI - Respiratory muscles?
Common pitfalls when filing for Muscle Group XXI - Respiratory muscles: No respiratory testing included; Lack of muscle grading to establish the severity.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.73, Schedule of ratings, muscle injuries (Diagnostic Code 5321)
- 38 CFR § 4.7, higher of two evaluations
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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