Va Rating For Ankle Arthritis

To determine the rating for your ankle injury the VA will focus on two factors.

Va rating for ankle arthritis. The DoD will also rate service-connected conditions as long as they also make the service member Unfit for Duty. Under the schedule of ratings in the VA regulations arthritis may be rated under degenerative arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. However the ankle instability may occur in conjunction with other issues such as knee pain and leg pain. Regardless of the presence of arthritis you can only receive ONE rating for your ankle.

5003 Arthritis degenerative hypertrophic or osteoarthritis. The normal range for the ankle is between 45 to 0 degrees for plantar flexion when the top of your foot points away from your leg and between 20 to 0 degrees for dorsiflexion moving your foot up toward the shin. Several rating criteria affect the total rating decision. The VA has 3 ways to categorize this aspect when rating arthritis of the knee.

The VA policy in this area includes a prohibition on combining ratings. Last year I was given a 40 rating for the ankle plus special compensation for loss of use of foot. Its important that your doctor use these three terms to explain your limitations due to arthritis. In many cases ankle instability itself would receive a rating of between 0 and 20 on the rating schedule.

The ankle finally got to the point I could not walk on it and the VA. 471a diagnostic code 5002. For Reservists the condition must have occurred in or resulted from an injury in the Line of Duty to qualify. Rheumatoid arthritis as an active condition may receive a 100 VA disability rating if you experience constitutional manifestations associated with active joint involvement and is totally incapacitating.

The rating criteria are. 20 marked limitation of motion. I also get 10 each for arthritis in my left knee and hip which puts me at 50 plus the special comp. In some cases VA may assign a rating for arthritis in the ankle under Diagnostic Code 5271.

20 Rating Clear impairments to daily living and health diagnosed by a doctor or 3 or more incapacitating episodes a year. The ratings range from 0 to 100 disabling and depend mostly on the number of incapacitating episodes a veteran experiences due to their rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis will only give a single joint a 10 rating so even with arthritis you wont get a higher rating than your moderate limited motion which does seem to be correct based on the noted range of motions and additional evidence. The VA might note the presence of other conditions and award the veteran an even higher VA disability rating.

The VA awards disability compensation for each Ankle condition that is service-connected. The VA Ratings Schedule for Rheumatoid Arthritis One or two painful flare-ups a year. Slight 10 moderate 20 or severe 30 under Diagnostic Code 5257. Important Information On Combined Ratings For The Degenerative Arthritis Condition.

Slight 10 moderate 20 or severe 30. Have your doctor specifically use this language when heshe explains your limitations due to knee arthritis. The VA official site states that 20 and 10 ratings mentioned above cannot be combined with ratings based on limitation of motion. Degenerative arthritis established by X-ray findings will be rated on the basis of limitation of motion under the appropriate diagnostic codes for the specific joint or joints involved DC 5200 etc.

Flexion limitation of range and motion and pain. Additionally he should explain why your condition falls into that particular category. VA rates rheumatoid arthritis under 38 CFR. Put me in an Arizona Brace to support it.

However both are still rated under the musculoskeletal system conditions. Under this code arthritis in the ankle is rated according to limited motion of the ankle. The VA rating specialist will categorize instability of the joint in three ways.