YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease) VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease) under diagnostic code 7115, in 38 CFR § 4.104 (cardiovascular system), and the schedule provides four evaluation levels for it: 100%, 60%, 40% and 20%.
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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 Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease)
Buerger's disease is a rare condition causing inflammation and clotting in the small and medium blood vessels of the hands and feet, strongly associated with tobacco use, and it can lead to severe pain and, in advanced cases, tissue loss. Documenting your smoking and tobacco history, even though it's not something to hide, is actually relevant evidence since this disease is so closely tied to it.
Circulatory impairment, pain, presence of gangrene, tissue changes, confirmed diagnosis.
- Diagnostic code
- 7115
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.104
- Schedule levels
- 100%, 60%, 40% and 20%
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
Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease) VA rating criteria (DC 7115)
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 Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease)
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 (1): These evaluations involve a single extremity. If more than one extremity is affected, evaluate each extremity separately and combine (under § 4.25), using the bilateral factor (§ 4.26), if applicable.”DC 7115
- “Note (2): Trophic changes include, but are not limited to, skin changes (thinning, atrophy, fissuring, ulceration, scarring, absence of hair) as well as nail changes (clubbing, deformities).”DC 7115
BUILD YOUR EVIDENCE, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Evidence for your Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease) 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 Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease)?
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 Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease) 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
Document symptom progression clearly over time, since this rare disease's rating depends heavily on showing how it has worsened.
- 02
Include your smoking history and any environmental toxin exposure, since these are directly relevant to establishing this specific diagnosis.
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind2 tips
- 01
No confirmation of smoking history, which is relevant to this specific diagnosis.
- 02
Symptoms being attributed to a different, more common circulatory condition.
Common filing mistakes1 tips
- 01
Failing to connect the condition to military exposure or field conditions where relevant.
When symptoms may first appear1 tips
- 01
Buerger's disease is strongly associated with heavy tobacco use, and can also be linked to environmental toxin exposure.
WHEN VA HOLDS THE LINK
After a service-connected lower-extremity amputation
38 CFR 3.310(c): “Ischemic heart disease or other cardiovascular disease developing in a veteran who has a service-connected amputation of one lower extremity at or above the knee or service-connected amputations of both lower extremities at or above the ankles, shall be held to be the proximate result of the service-connected amputation or amputations.”
38 CFR 3.310(c) does not define "other cardiovascular disease". The rating schedule evaluates Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease) in its cardiovascular section, 38 CFR 4.104.
- DC 5160
Complete Amputation of the Lower Extremity (Hip Disarticulation or Trans-Pelvic)
One service-connected amputation at this level meets the rule.
- DC 5161
Amputation of Thigh at Upper Third
One service-connected amputation at this level meets the rule.
- DC 5162
Amputation of Thigh at Middle or Lower Third
One service-connected amputation at this level meets the rule.
- DC 5163
Amputation of Leg, with Defective Stump
Below the knee: meets the rule only with service-connected amputations of both lower extremities at or above the ankles.
- DC 5164
Leg Amputation Not Improvable by Prosthesis Controlled by Natural Knee Action
Below the knee: meets the rule only with service-connected amputations of both lower extremities at or above the ankles.
THE BROADER PICTURE
Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease) by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- Moderate
- Veterans service-connected
- ~150 veterans
- Typical rating awarded
- ~60%
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 Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease)
Is Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease) a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease) under VASRD diagnostic code 7115 (Cardiovascular System). Buerger's disease is a rare condition causing inflammation and clotting in the small and medium blood vessels of the hands and feet, strongly associated with tobacco use, and it can lead to severe pain and, in advanced cases, tissue loss. Documenting your smoking and tobacco history, even though it's not something to hide, is actually relevant evidence since this disease is so closely tied to it.
What VA disability rating can I get for Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease)?
Possible VA ratings for Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease) are 100%, 60%, 40%, 20%, 0%. The 0% level comes from 38 CFR 4.31, which assigns it wherever no compensable level is met. Examples: 100%: Upper extremity: Deep ischemic ulcers and necrosis of the fingers with persistent coldness of the extremity, trophic changes with pains in the hand during physical activity, and diminished upper extremity pulses. (Lower extremity: rate under DC 7114); 60%: Upper extremity: Persistent coldness of the extremity, trophic changes with pains in the hands during physical activity, and diminished upper extremity pulses. (Lower extremity: rate under DC 7114); 40%: Upper extremity: Trophic changes with numbness and paresthesia at the tips of the fingers, and diminished upper extremity pulses. (Lower extremity: rate under DC 7114).
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease)?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease) at around 60%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 150 veterans are service-connected for Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease). Estimated approval outlook: Moderate.
What evidence helps prove Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease) for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease) claim includes: Vascular imaging (angiography) confirming the vessel involvement; Vascular surgery reports.
Which DBQ is used for Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease)?
VA's Artery and Vein Conditions 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 Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease)?
Common pitfalls when filing for Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease): Failing to connect the condition to military exposure or field conditions where relevant.
Does VA hold Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease) to be the result of a service-connected lower-extremity amputation?
38 CFR 3.310(c): "Ischemic heart disease or other cardiovascular disease developing in a veteran who has a service-connected amputation of one lower extremity at or above the knee or service-connected amputations of both lower extremities at or above the ankles, shall be held to be the proximate result of the service-connected amputation or amputations." 38 CFR 3.310(c) does not define "other cardiovascular disease". The rating schedule evaluates Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease) in its cardiovascular section, 38 CFR 4.104.
What conditions can be secondary to Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease)?
Conditions that can be service-connected as secondary to Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease), when a medical opinion links them, include: Depression. 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 § 4.104, Schedule of ratings, cardiovascular system (Diagnostic Code 7115)
- 38 CFR § 4.7, higher of two evaluations
- 38 CFR § 4.31, zero percent evaluations
- 38 CFR § 3.310(c), cardiovascular disease after a service-connected lower-extremity amputation
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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