YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Os Calcis or Astragalus (Calcaneus or Talus), Malunion of VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Os Calcis or Astragalus (Calcaneus or Talus), Malunion of under diagnostic code 5273, in 38 CFR § 4.71a (musculoskeletal system), and the schedule provides two evaluation levels for it: 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 Os Calcis or Astragalus (Calcaneus or Talus), Malunion of
The heel bone (os calcis, now called the calcaneus) or the ankle bone (astragalus, now called the talus) healed out of position after a fracture, and the rating turns on whether the resulting deformity is moderate or marked.
DC 5273 rates malunion of the os calcis or astragalus on the degree of deformity and nothing else: moderate deformity is 10 percent, marked deformity is 20 percent, and the code provides no other evaluation. It does not rate the fracture itself, so a talus or calcaneus fracture that united in good position is evaluated on what it actually left — limited ankle motion under DC 5271, ankle ankylosis under DC 5270, ankylosis of the subastragalar or tarsal joint under DC 5272, removal of the talus under DC 5274 (Astragalectomy, 20 percent), or other foot injury residuals under DC 5284.
- Diagnostic code
- 5273
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.71a
- Schedule levels
- 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
Os Calcis or Astragalus (Calcaneus or Talus), Malunion of VA rating criteria (DC 5273)
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 Os Calcis or Astragalus (Calcaneus or Talus), Malunion of 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 Os Calcis or Astragalus (Calcaneus or Talus), Malunion of?
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 Os Calcis or Astragalus (Calcaneus or Talus), Malunion of 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 5273 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 Os Calcis or Astragalus (Calcaneus or Talus), Malunion of 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
Get the degree of deformity stated in the record — moderate or marked — because under DC 5273 that single finding is the entire ladder.
- 02
Have ankle and subtalar motion measured and recorded separately, since motion loss is evaluated under DC 5271, 5270, or 5272 rather than under DC 5273.
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind2 tips
- 01
Not specifying whether the talus or calcaneus (or both) was affected.
- 02
An examination that describes pain and gait but never characterizes the deformity as moderate or marked, which is what DC 5273 grades.
Common filing mistakes2 tips
- 01
Omitting weight-bearing test results.
- 02
Lack of post-injury rehabilitation documentation.
When symptoms may first appear1 tips
- 01
These fractures typically result from high-impact falls or trauma; DC 5273 applies where the bone then united out of position, and it is the resulting deformity that is graded.
THE BROADER PICTURE
Os Calcis or Astragalus (Calcaneus or Talus), Malunion of by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- Moderate – turns on whether the record documents a malunion at all and describes the deformity as moderate or marked.
- Veterans service-connected
- ~1,100 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 Os Calcis or Astragalus (Calcaneus or Talus), Malunion of
Is Os Calcis or Astragalus (Calcaneus or Talus), Malunion of a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Os Calcis or Astragalus (Calcaneus or Talus), Malunion of under VASRD diagnostic code 5273 (Musculoskeletal System). The heel bone (os calcis, now called the calcaneus) or the ankle bone (astragalus, now called the talus) healed out of position after a fracture, and the rating turns on whether the resulting deformity is moderate or marked.
What VA disability rating can I get for Os Calcis or Astragalus (Calcaneus or Talus), Malunion of?
Possible VA ratings for Os Calcis or Astragalus (Calcaneus or Talus), Malunion of are 20%, 10%, 0%. The 0% level comes from 38 CFR 4.31, which assigns it wherever no compensable level is met. Examples: 20%: Malunion of the os calcis (calcaneus) or astragalus (talus) with marked deformity; 10%: Malunion of the os calcis (calcaneus) or astragalus (talus) with moderate deformity.
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Os Calcis or Astragalus (Calcaneus or Talus), Malunion of?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Os Calcis or Astragalus (Calcaneus or Talus), Malunion of at around 20%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 1,100 veterans are service-connected for Os Calcis or Astragalus (Calcaneus or Talus), Malunion of. Estimated approval outlook: Moderate – turns on whether the record documents a malunion at all and describes the deformity as moderate or marked.
What evidence helps prove Os Calcis or Astragalus (Calcaneus or Talus), Malunion of for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Os Calcis or Astragalus (Calcaneus or Talus), Malunion of claim includes: Ankle and hindfoot X-rays or CT that report the malunion and describe the deformity, since the degree of deformity is the only thing this code grades; The operative and treatment record for the original calcaneus or talus fracture, including any attempted reduction, fixation, or fusion; An examination documenting hindfoot alignment along with ankle and subtalar motion, because motion loss is rated under separate codes rather than under DC 5273; Records of shoe modification, orthotics, or bracing prescribed for the deformity.
Which DBQ is used for Os Calcis or Astragalus (Calcaneus or Talus), Malunion of?
VA's Ankle 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 Os Calcis or Astragalus (Calcaneus or Talus), Malunion of?
Common pitfalls when filing for Os Calcis or Astragalus (Calcaneus or Talus), Malunion of: Omitting weight-bearing test results; Lack of post-injury rehabilitation documentation.
What conditions can be secondary to Os Calcis or Astragalus (Calcaneus or Talus), Malunion of?
Conditions that can be service-connected as secondary to Os Calcis or Astragalus (Calcaneus or Talus), Malunion of, when a medical opinion links them, include: Achilles Tendonitis. 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 5273)
- 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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