YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Tenosynovitis VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Tenosynovitis under diagnostic code 5024, in 38 CFR § 4.71a (musculoskeletal system). This guide lists two evaluation levels for it: 10% and 0%; the code's evaluation is set through another part of the schedule, so check the criteria against the regulation.
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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 Tenosynovitis
Tenosynovitis is inflammation of the sheath that surrounds a tendon, causing pain, swelling and catching on movement. Since February 7, 2021 DC 5024 has covered a wider family — the schedule titles it "Tenosynovitis, tendinitis, tendinosis or tendinopathy", so rotator cuff tendinitis, De Quervain's tenosynovitis, lateral epicondylitis, Achilles tendinopathy and trigger finger are all rated here. The code has no percentages of its own: it is rated as degenerative arthritis, on limitation of motion of the affected part.
DC 5024 covers tenosynovitis, tendinitis, tendinosis and tendinopathy under one code, and has no percentage criteria of its own. The whole of its rating rule is the note that closes its block: "Evaluate the diseases under diagnostic codes 5013 through 5024 as degenerative arthritis, based on limitation of motion of affected parts." That routes to DC 5003, which rates "on the basis of limitation of motion under the appropriate diagnostic codes for the specific joint or joints involved (DC 5200 etc.)" — so the percentage is whatever the affected joint's own code provides, and it differs joint by joint. Shoulder tendinitis is measured against DC 5201, wrist tenosynovitis against DC 5215, elbow tendinopathy against DCs 5206-5207, ankle Achilles tendinopathy against DC 5271, and a finger against the digit codes. There is no single ladder. Only where that joint's limitation of motion is noncompensable does a fixed 10 percent apply, per major joint or group of minor joints, combined rather than added. DC 5003's own X-ray-based 20 and 10 percent ratings are expressly unavailable here: "Note (2): The 20 pct and 10 pct ratings based on X-ray findings, above, will not be utilized in rating conditions listed under diagnostic codes 5013 to 5024, inclusive." 38 CFR 4.45(f) defines which joints count as major joints and which as groups of minor joints; 38 CFR 4.59 entitles an actually painful joint to "at least the minimum compensable rating for the joint"; 38 CFR 4.40 treats functional loss on repeated use as "as important as limitation of motion". Plantar fasciitis is no longer rated here — the 2021 rewrite gave it its own code, DC 5269, with its own 30/20/10 criteria. Because the evaluation is assigned on the affected joint, a decision letter normally shows a hyphenated code such as 5024-5201 rather than a bare 5024 (38 CFR 4.27).
- Diagnostic code
- 5024
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.71a
- Levels in this guide
- 10% and 0%
EXPLORE THE PERCENTAGES
Tenosynovitis VA rating criteria (DC 5024)
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 Tenosynovitis 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 Tenosynovitis?
VA publishes its questionnaires by body system; find the one for this condition on VA's list.
Source: VA: Public Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs), read September 18, 2026.
THE EVERYDAY PICTURE
What the Tenosynovitis 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 5024 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 Tenosynovitis 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
Show functional limitations like grip loss if the affected tendon is in the hand or wrist, since functional impact is what supports this rating beyond the diagnosis alone.
- 02
Link your symptoms to specific service activities, particularly repetitive-motion tasks, since this connection supports service connection.
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind2 tips
- 01
No documentation of the flare pattern (worse with use, better with rest).
- 02
Assuming tendon pain is present without objective clinical findings to confirm it.
Common filing mistakes2 tips
- 01
Failing to show actual functional loss from the condition.
- 02
Missing physical exam details that would otherwise confirm the diagnosis.
When symptoms may first appear1 tips
- 01
Tenosynovitis is typically triggered by repetitive movement or a specific trauma, and tends to flare with overuse and improve with rest.
YOUR SERVICE STORY
Military jobs associated with Tenosynovitis
More by branch: Army · Marines · Air Force · Navy · Coast Guard · Space Force
THE BROADER PICTURE
Tenosynovitis by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- Moderate – well-documented repetitive use injuries can support claims.
- Veterans service-connected
- ~1,700 veterans
- Typical rating awarded
- ~10%
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 Tenosynovitis
Is Tenosynovitis a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Tenosynovitis under VASRD diagnostic code 5024 (Musculoskeletal System). Tenosynovitis is inflammation of the sheath that surrounds a tendon, causing pain, swelling and catching on movement. Since February 7, 2021 DC 5024 has covered a wider family — the schedule titles it "Tenosynovitis, tendinitis, tendinosis or tendinopathy", so rotator cuff tendinitis, De Quervain's tenosynovitis, lateral epicondylitis, Achilles tendinopathy and trigger finger are all rated here. The code has no percentages of its own: it is rated as degenerative arthritis, on limitation of motion of the affected part.
What VA disability rating can I get for Tenosynovitis?
This guide lists these VA ratings for Tenosynovitis: 10%, 0%; its evaluation is set through another part of the schedule, so check the criteria with the regulation. Examples: 10%: Where limitation of motion of an affected joint is objectively confirmed but noncompensable under that joint's own diagnostic code, "a rating of 10 pct is for application for each such major joint or group of minor joints affected by limitation of motion, to be combined, not added." Limitation of motion "must be objectively confirmed by findings such as swelling, muscle spasm, or satisfactory evidence of painful motion" (DC 5003); 0%: [38 CFR 4.31] Where no affected joint shows compensable or objectively confirmed limitation of motion, a zero percent evaluation is assigned.
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Tenosynovitis?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Tenosynovitis at around 10%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 1,700 veterans are service-connected for Tenosynovitis. Estimated approval outlook: Moderate – well-documented repetitive use injuries can support claims.
What evidence helps prove Tenosynovitis for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Tenosynovitis claim includes: Goniometer range-of-motion measurements, in degrees, for the joint the affected tendon crosses — this is the only thing DC 5024 rates; Examination findings recording objective painful motion, localized swelling along the tendon, or crepitus, which is the confirmation DC 5003 requires before the per-joint 10 percent can be assigned; Ultrasound or MRI showing tendon sheath thickening, tendinosis or a partial tear, plus injection, splinting, physical therapy or release-surgery records; Documentation of functional loss on repeated use over time, which 38 CFR 4.40 treats as "as important as limitation of motion".
What mistakes should veterans avoid when claiming Tenosynovitis?
Common pitfalls when filing for Tenosynovitis: Failing to show actual functional loss from the condition; Missing physical exam details that would otherwise confirm the diagnosis.
What conditions can be secondary to Tenosynovitis?
Conditions that can be service-connected as secondary to Tenosynovitis, when a medical opinion links them, include: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. 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 5024)
- 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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