YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Tarsal or Metatarsal Bones, Malunion or Nonunion of VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Tarsal or Metatarsal Bones, Malunion or Nonunion of under diagnostic code 5283, in 38 CFR § 4.71a (musculoskeletal system), and the schedule provides three evaluation levels for it: 30%, 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 Tarsal or Metatarsal Bones, Malunion or Nonunion of
One of the small bones of the midfoot or forefoot healed out of position after a fracture, or never healed at all, and the resulting foot disability is graded as moderate, moderately severe, or severe.
DC 5283 is the schedule's code for malunion or nonunion of the tarsal or metatarsal bones, and it has exactly three steps: moderate (10 percent), moderately severe (20 percent), and severe (30 percent). Part 4 does not define those three words with degrees or measurements for this code, so the evaluation turns on how the examiner characterizes the overall foot disability rather than on a range-of-motion threshold. A note closing the code directs that where there is actual loss of use of the foot, the evaluation is 40 percent; loss of use of the foot is rated under DC 5167. A tarsal or metatarsal fracture that united in good position is not rated here at all — its residuals go under DC 5284 (Foot injuries, other) or under the code for whatever the fracture left behind.
- Diagnostic code
- 5283
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.71a
- Schedule levels
- 30%, 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
Tarsal or Metatarsal Bones, Malunion or Nonunion of VA rating criteria (DC 5283)
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.
IN THE REGULATION’S OWN WORDS
What 38 CFR also says about Tarsal or Metatarsal Bones, Malunion or Nonunion of
The notes 38 CFR Part 4 prints with these criteria, quoted. They govern how the evaluation is made without being a rating level themselves.
- “Note: With actual loss of use of the foot, rate 40 percent.”DC 5283
BUILD YOUR EVIDENCE, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Evidence for your Tarsal or Metatarsal Bones, Malunion or Nonunion 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 Tarsal or Metatarsal Bones, Malunion or Nonunion 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 Tarsal or Metatarsal Bones, Malunion or Nonunion 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 5283 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 Tarsal or Metatarsal Bones, Malunion or Nonunion 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 record to characterize the malunion or nonunion in the schedule's own words — moderate, moderately severe, or severe — because those three words are the whole of DC 5283 and the rater has nothing else to grade.
- 02
Submit the treatment history for the bone itself, including any fixation, bone grafting, fusion, casting, or orthotics, since it documents how far from a normal union the foot ended up.
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind2 tips
- 01
An examination that records pain and standing tolerance but never states whether the tarsal or metatarsal bones are malunited or ununited, which is the thing DC 5283 rates.
- 02
No overall characterization of the foot disability as moderate, moderately severe, or severe, leaving the rater without the term the code turns on.
Common filing mistakes2 tips
- 01
No post-fracture treatment records showing ongoing issues.
- 02
Overreliance on self-reported pain without objective imaging or functional testing to support it.
When symptoms may first appear1 tips
- 01
These fractures often follow overuse, a crush injury, or direct trauma to the foot; DC 5283 applies where the bone then healed out of position or never united, rather than to a fracture that united in good position.
THE BROADER PICTURE
Tarsal or Metatarsal Bones, Malunion or Nonunion of by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- Moderate to high – especially if pain or structural deformity present.
- Veterans service-connected
- ~5,200 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 Tarsal or Metatarsal Bones, Malunion or Nonunion of
Is Tarsal or Metatarsal Bones, Malunion or Nonunion of a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Tarsal or Metatarsal Bones, Malunion or Nonunion of under VASRD diagnostic code 5283 (Musculoskeletal System). One of the small bones of the midfoot or forefoot healed out of position after a fracture, or never healed at all, and the resulting foot disability is graded as moderate, moderately severe, or severe.
What VA disability rating can I get for Tarsal or Metatarsal Bones, Malunion or Nonunion of?
Possible VA ratings for Tarsal or Metatarsal Bones, Malunion or Nonunion of are 30%, 20%, 10%, 0%. The 0% level comes from 38 CFR 4.31, which assigns it wherever no compensable level is met. Examples: 30%: Severe malunion or nonunion of the tarsal or metatarsal bones; 20%: Moderately severe malunion or nonunion of the tarsal or metatarsal bones; 10%: Moderate malunion or nonunion of the tarsal or metatarsal bones.
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Tarsal or Metatarsal Bones, Malunion or Nonunion of?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Tarsal or Metatarsal Bones, Malunion or Nonunion of at around 20%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 5,200 veterans are service-connected for Tarsal or Metatarsal Bones, Malunion or Nonunion of. Estimated approval outlook: Moderate to high – especially if pain or structural deformity present.
What evidence helps prove Tarsal or Metatarsal Bones, Malunion or Nonunion of for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Tarsal or Metatarsal Bones, Malunion or Nonunion of claim includes: Foot X-rays or CT identifying which tarsal or metatarsal bones are involved and stating whether they are malunited or ununited, since this code rates the malunion or nonunion itself rather than the original fracture; A VA or private foot examination that characterizes the resulting disability as moderate, moderately severe, or severe, because those three words are the entire ladder; The treatment record for the original fracture, including any fixation, fusion, or bone grafting attempted; Weight-bearing tolerance documented over time, together with any orthotics, casts, or assistive devices prescribed for the foot.
Which DBQ is used for Tarsal or Metatarsal Bones, Malunion or Nonunion of?
VA's Foot Conditions Including Flatfoot (Pes Planus) 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 Tarsal or Metatarsal Bones, Malunion or Nonunion of?
Common pitfalls when filing for Tarsal or Metatarsal Bones, Malunion or Nonunion of: No post-fracture treatment records showing ongoing issues; Overreliance on self-reported pain without objective imaging or functional testing to support it.
What conditions can be secondary to Tarsal or Metatarsal Bones, Malunion or Nonunion of?
Conditions that can be service-connected as secondary to Tarsal or Metatarsal Bones, Malunion or Nonunion of, when a medical opinion links them, include: Plantar Fasciitis. 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 5283)
- 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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