YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation under diagnostic code 5235, in 38 CFR § 4.71a (musculoskeletal system), and the schedule provides six evaluation levels for it: 100%, 50%, 40%, 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 Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation
Broken or dislocated spinal bones that may limit movement or cause pain.
Rated under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine (38 CFR 4.71a) on goniometer-measured forward flexion, combined range of motion, muscle spasm or guarding, and ankylosis — not on the fracture itself. Imaging confirms the fracture and any loss of vertebral body height, and a vertebral body fracture with loss of 50 percent or more of the height meets the 10 percent criteria on its own. Any associated objective neurologic abnormality is evaluated separately under an appropriate diagnostic code.
- Diagnostic code
- 5235
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.71a
- Schedule levels
- 100%, 50%, 40%, 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
Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation VA rating criteria (DC 5235)
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 Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation
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): Evaluate any associated objective neurologic abnormalities, including, but not limited to, bowel or bladder impairment, separately, under an appropriate diagnostic code.”General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine
- “Note (2): (See also Plate V.) For VA compensation purposes, normal forward flexion of the cervical spine is zero to 45 degrees, extension is zero to 45 degrees, left and right lateral flexion are zero to 45 degrees, and left and right lateral rotation are zero to 80 degrees. Normal forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine is zero to 90 degrees, extension is zero to 30 degrees, left and right lateral flexion are zero to 30 degrees, and left and right lateral rotation are zero to 30 degrees. The combined range of motion refers to the sum of the range of forward flexion, extension, left and right lateral flexion, and left and right rotation. The normal combined range of motion of the cervical spine is 340 degrees and of the thoracolumbar spine is 240 degrees. The normal ranges of motion for each component of spinal motion provided in this note are the maximum that can be used for calculation of the combined range of motion.”General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine
- “Note (3): In exceptional cases, an examiner may state that because of age, body habitus, neurologic disease, or other factors not the result of disease or injury of the spine, the range of motion of the spine in a particular individual should be considered normal for that individual, even though it does not conform to the normal range of motion stated in Note (2). Provided that the examiner supplies an explanation, the examiner's assessment that the range of motion is normal for that individual will be accepted.”General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine
- “Note (4): Round each range of motion measurement to the nearest five degrees.”General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine
- “Note (5): For VA compensation purposes, unfavorable ankylosis is a condition in which the entire cervical spine, the entire thoracolumbar spine, or the entire spine is fixed in flexion or extension, and the ankylosis results in one or more of the following: difficulty walking because of a limited line of vision; restricted opening of the mouth and chewing; breathing limited to diaphragmatic respiration; gastrointestinal symptoms due to pressure of the costal margin on the abdomen; dyspnea or dysphagia; atlantoaxial or cervical subluxation or dislocation; or neurologic symptoms due to nerve root stretching. Fixation of a spinal segment in neutral position (zero degrees) always represents favorable ankylosis.”General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine
- “Note (6): Separately evaluate disability of the thoracolumbar and cervical spine segments, except when there is unfavorable ankylosis of both segments, which will be rated as a single disability.”General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine
BUILD YOUR EVIDENCE, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Evidence for your Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation 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 Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation?
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 Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation 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 5235 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 Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation 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 claim8 tips
- 01
Get updated imaging, since a fracture documented at the time of injury doesn't automatically establish today's severity - current X-rays or MRI showing the spine's present condition matter more for an ongoing rating.
- 02
Mention muscle guarding, spasms, and pain flare-ups specifically, since these can support a rating even when range-of-motion measurements alone might understate the condition.
- 03
Show how mobility is limited day-to-day (bending, lifting, prolonged sitting or standing), which helps connect the clinical measurements to real functional impact.
- 04
Document mobility issues and pain in detail, since the specific type and severity of residual impairment, not just having had a fracture, determines the tier.
- 05
Track any assistive device use, such as a brace, since this is direct evidence supporting the higher rating tiers for spinal instability.
- 06
Use complete imaging showing fracture and healing
- 07
Document nerve effects if present
- 08
Describe daily limitations due to residuals
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind7 tips
- 01
Range-of-motion testing that isn't performed properly or thoroughly, which can result in a measurement that doesn't reflect your true limitation.
- 02
No documentation of how the original injury occurred, which can make it harder to establish that the current condition traces back to service.
- 03
No current symptoms reported from an old, healed fracture, which can leave the claim without evidence of ongoing impact.
- 04
Unclear documentation of exactly which vertebra was affected.
- 05
Incomplete imaging of fracture site
- 06
Missing neurologic assessment if symptoms present
- 07
Only documenting general back pain
Common filing mistakes7 tips
- 01
Not getting updated imaging, since old records from the time of the original fracture may not reflect the spine's current condition.
- 02
Claiming pain without structural findings to support it, since this code specifically depends on imaging-confirmed fracture or dislocation, not pain alone.
- 03
No brace documentation when claiming instability, since assistive device use is directly relevant to that rating tier.
- 04
Failing to clearly link current pain back to the original fracture.
- 05
No fracture imaging submitted
- 06
ROM or function not documented
- 07
Fracture not linked to service injury
When symptoms may first appear4 tips
- 01
This condition results from a specific in-service trauma - a fall, training accident, or other significant impact - that caused the vertebral fracture or dislocation.
- 02
Vertebral fractures typically result from trauma or falls, though they can also occur more easily in veterans with osteoporosis.
- 03
Typically caused by trauma, fall, or impact
- 04
Pain may remain even after healing
LOOK AT THE WHOLE PICTURE
Nerve symptoms are rated separately from the spine
Evaluate any associated objective neurologic abnormalities, including, but not limited to, bowel or bladder impairment, separately, under an appropriate diagnostic code.
So pain, numbness or weakness travelling down a limb is not what raises a Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation evaluation. It is claimed on its own and evaluated under the peripheral-nerve schedule in 38 CFR § 4.124a, then combined with the spine evaluation under 38 CFR § 4.25.
Which nerve code applies is decided by the nerve the evidence identifies, not by where the pain is felt. There is no diagnostic code named radiculopathy, and none named sciatica: both are descriptions of what a nerve is doing, and the schedule rates the nerve.
Two ceilings are worth knowing before claiming one. Under 38 CFR § 4.123, neuritis characterized by loss of reflexes, muscle atrophy, sensory disturbances and constant pain is rated on the scale for the nerve involved up to a maximum equal to severe incomplete paralysis; without those organic changes the maximum is moderate, or moderately severe where the sciatic nerve is involved. Under 38 CFR § 4.124, neuralgia, usually a dull and intermittent pain of typical distribution, is capped at moderate incomplete paralysis.
- DC 8520
Paralysis of the Sciatic Nerve
Claimed for the low back and leg
- DC 8620
Sciatic Nerve, Neuritis
Claimed for the low back and leg
- DC 8510
Upper Radicular Group (Nerve Damage)
Claimed for the neck, shoulder and arm
- DC 8511
Middle Radicular Group (Nerve Damage)
Claimed for the neck and arm
SECONDARY TO SOMETHING ELSE
Conditions that can lead to Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation
Each links to a page on claiming Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation as secondary to that condition.
THE BROADER PICTURE
Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- High – if fracture was in-service or led to long-term pain.
- Veterans service-connected
- ~22,000 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 Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation
Is Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation under VASRD diagnostic code 5235 (Musculoskeletal System). Broken or dislocated spinal bones that may limit movement or cause pain.
What VA disability rating can I get for Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation?
Possible VA ratings for Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation are 100%, 50%, 40%, 30%, 20%, 10%, 0%. The 0% level comes from 38 CFR 4.31, which assigns it wherever no compensable level is met. Examples: 100%: Unfavorable ankylosis of the entire spine; 50%: Unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine; 40%: Unfavorable ankylosis of the entire cervical spine; or forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine 30 degrees or less; or favorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine.
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation at around 20%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 22,000 veterans are service-connected for Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation. Estimated approval outlook: High – if fracture was in-service or led to long-term pain.
What evidence helps prove Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation claim includes: Imaging reports (X-ray, CT, or MRI) documenting the fracture and its current state; Orthopedic evaluations documenting range of motion and any spinal deformity; Service treatment records showing the original fracture event; Specialist reports from orthopedics or neurology documenting residual effects.
Which DBQ is used for Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation?
VA's Back (Thoracolumbar Spine) Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) is on its public list of DBQs. VA's Neck (Cervical Spine) 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 Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation?
Common pitfalls when filing for Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation: Not getting updated imaging, since old records from the time of the original fracture may not reflect the spine's current condition; Claiming pain without structural findings to support it, since this code specifically depends on imaging-confirmed fracture or dislocation, not pain alone; No brace documentation when claiming instability, since assistive device use is directly relevant to that rating tier; Failing to clearly link current pain back to the original fracture.
What conditions can be secondary to Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation?
Conditions that can be service-connected as secondary to Vertebral Fracture or Dislocation, when a medical opinion links them, include: Spinal Arthritis. 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 5235)
- 38 CFR § 4.7, higher of two evaluations
- 38 CFR § 4.31, zero percent evaluations
- 38 CFR § 4.123, neuritis, cranial or peripheral
- 38 CFR § 4.124, neuralgia, cranial or peripheral
- 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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