VASRD 5262 · Musculoskeletal System – Leg
Tibia and Fibula, Impairment of (Including Shin Splints) VA Disability Rating
DC 5262 covers impairment of the tibia and fibula — the two bones of the lower leg. Since the 2021 rewrite it rates two things directly: shin splints (medial tibial stress syndrome), graded almost entirely on how long they have been treated and what treatment has failed; and nonunion of the tibia and fibula with loose motion requiring a brace. If the bones healed but healed crooked, the schedule sends that malunion to the knee or ankle codes to be rated there.
VA Rating Tiers
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 40% | The lower leg bones never knitted back together, the break site still moves, and a brace is needed. |
| 30% | Shin splints in both legs that have been treated for at least a year and have not responded to surgery or to orthotics or other conservative care. |
| 20% | Shin splints in one leg that have been treated for at least a year and have not responded to surgery or to orthotics or other conservative care. |
| 10% | Shin splints treated for at least a year that have not responded to orthotics or other conservative care, in one leg or both. |
| 0% | Shin splints that have been treated for less than a year, which the schedule rates at 0 percent. |
How the VA Evaluates Tibia and Fibula, Impairment of (Including Shin Splints)
Three separate routes sit under this one code. Shin splints and medial tibial stress syndrome are rated on duration and treatment response, not on pain severity: less than 12 consecutive months of treatment rates 0 percent; at least 12 consecutive months unresponsive to shoe orthotics or other conservative treatment rates 10 percent for one or both legs; at least 12 consecutive months unresponsive to surgery and either orthotics or other conservative treatment rates 20 percent for one leg and 30 percent for both. Nonunion of the tibia and fibula with loose motion requiring a brace rates 40 percent. Malunion is not rated here at all — the schedule directs that it be evaluated under DC 5256, 5257, 5260 or 5261 for the knee, or DC 5270 or 5271 for the ankle, whichever results in the highest evaluation.
Approval outlook
Moderate – stronger with a continuous 12-month treatment record for shin splints, or imaging confirming nonunion with loose motion.
Veterans service-connected
~12,900 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.
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Best Evidence to Gather
- •A continuous treatment record covering 12 or more consecutive months for shin splints — the 12-month threshold is written into three of the four MTSS evaluations, so a gap in the record can cost a tier.
- •Documentation of what was tried and failed: shoe orthotics, other conservative treatment, and any surgery, since the difference between the 10 percent and the 20/30 percent evaluations is whether the condition was unresponsive to surgery as well.
- •Imaging showing whether a tibia or fibula fracture united, and orthopedic notes on loose motion and brace use, for the nonunion route.
- •Where the bones healed in malunion, goniometric range-of-motion measurements of both the knee and the ankle, because that is where the schedule sends malunion to be rated.
Strategy Tips
- •Track shin-splint treatment as a continuous 12-month record, with the dates and the specific treatments tried, because duration and treatment failure — not pain level — are what the criteria measure.
- •State explicitly whether one leg or both are involved; the same clinical picture pays 20 percent for one leg and 30 percent for both.
- •If a tibia or fibula fracture healed in malunion, get both the knee and the ankle measured, since the schedule rates that malunion under whichever joint yields the higher evaluation.
C&P Exam Pitfalls
- •A shin-splints exam that documents current pain but not the treatment history, when the criteria are written around 12 consecutive months of treatment and what that treatment failed to fix.
- •Not distinguishing one leg from both, since bilateral involvement is the difference between 20 and 30 percent on the same findings.
- •Rating a malunion under this code instead of following the cross-reference to the knee or ankle codes.
Common Filing Mistakes
- •Filing shin splints as generic "leg pain" rather than as medial tibial stress syndrome, when MTSS has been a named, separately rated condition in the schedule since February 2021.
- •Claiming a healed-but-crooked tibia or fibula under this code and expecting a percentage from it — malunion is evaluated under the knee codes (5256, 5257, 5260, 5261) or the ankle codes (5270, 5271), whichever pays more.
- •Submitting scattered visits instead of a continuous 12-month treatment record, which is the threshold every compensable MTSS evaluation is built on.
Onset Patterns
- •Shin splints and medial tibial stress syndrome typically begin during periods of heavy road marching, running on hard surfaces, or a sudden increase in training load, and become chronic when training continues through them.
- •Nonunion of the tibia or fibula follows a fracture that never healed, most often after high-energy trauma.
Secondary Conditions
Conditions commonly linked to Tibia and Fibula, Impairment of (Including Shin Splints). Service-connecting a secondary condition can increase your combined rating.
Ankle Arthritis
Malunion alters joint mechanics over time.
Limb Length Discrepancy
Improper healing can cause leg shortening.
Common questions about Tibia and Fibula, Impairment of (Including Shin Splints)
- Is Tibia and Fibula, Impairment of (Including Shin Splints) a VA-rated disability?
- Yes. The VA rates Tibia and Fibula, Impairment of (Including Shin Splints) under VASRD diagnostic code 5262 (Musculoskeletal System – Leg). DC 5262 covers impairment of the tibia and fibula — the two bones of the lower leg. Since the 2021 rewrite it rates two things directly: shin splints (medial tibial stress syndrom…
- What VA disability rating can I get for Tibia and Fibula, Impairment of (Including Shin Splints)?
- Possible VA ratings for Tibia and Fibula, Impairment of (Including Shin Splints) are 40%, 30%, 20%, 10%, 0%. Examples: 40%: The lower leg bones never knitted back together, the break site still moves, and a brace is needed.; 30%: Shin splints in both legs that have been treated for at least a year and have not respond…
- What's the typical VA rating awarded for Tibia and Fibula, Impairment of (Including Shin Splints)?
- Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Tibia and Fibula, Impairment of (Including Shin Splints) at around 20%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 12,900 veterans are service-connected for Tibia and Fibula, Impairment of (Including Shin Splints). Estimated approval outlook: Moderate…
- What evidence helps prove Tibia and Fibula, Impairment of (Including Shin Splints) for VA disability?
- Strong evidence for a Tibia and Fibula, Impairment of (Including Shin Splints) claim includes: A continuous treatment record covering 12 or more consecutive months for shin splints — the 12-month threshold is written into three of the four MTSS evaluations, so a gap in the record can cost a tier.; Documentation of wha…
- What mistakes should veterans avoid when claiming Tibia and Fibula, Impairment of (Including Shin Splints)?
- Common pitfalls when filing for Tibia and Fibula, Impairment of (Including Shin Splints): Filing shin splints as generic "leg pain" rather than as medial tibial stress syndrome, when MTSS has been a named, separately rated condition in the schedule since February 2021.; Claiming a healed-but-crooked tibia or fibula un…
- What conditions are commonly secondary to Tibia and Fibula, Impairment of (Including Shin Splints)?
- Conditions often service-connected as secondary to Tibia and Fibula, Impairment of (Including Shin Splints) include: Ankle Arthritis, Limb Length Discrepancy. Filing for secondary conditions can increase a veteran's combined VA rating.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.71a — Schedule of ratings — musculoskeletal system (Diagnostic Code 5262)
Rating criteria on this page are an educational summary of the cited regulation — the eCFR text is authoritative. See how Vetrify derives its numbers.
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