Musculoskeletal System§ 4.71aUpdated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 5002Multi-joint arthritis (except post-traumatic and gout), 2 or more joints, as an active process

Rated from 20% to 100% under § 4.71a. Here is what the VA requires at each level.

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What each rating requires

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  1. 100%

    With constitutional manifestations associated with active joint involvement, totally incapacitating

  2. 60%

    Less than criteria for 100% but with weight loss and anemia productive of severe impairment of health or severely incapacitating exacerbations occurring 4 or more times a year or a lesser number over prolonged periods

  3. 40%

    Symptom combinations productive of definite impairment of health objectively supported by examination findings or incapacitating exacerbations occurring 3 or more times a year

  4. 20%

    One or two exacerbations a year in a well-established diagnosis

From the schedule

Notes on this code

These notes are part of the regulation. They change how the levels above are applied.

  • Note (1): Examples of conditions rated using this diagnostic code include, but are not limited to, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and spondyloarthropathies.
  • Note (2): For chronic residuals, rate under diagnostic code 5003.
  • Note (3): The ratings for the active process will not be combined with the residual ratings for limitation of motion, ankylosis, or diagnostic code 5003. Instead, assign the higher evaluation.

Multi-Joint Arthritis (Active Process) — VA Diagnostic Code 5002

Understanding VA disability ratings for inflammatory arthritis affecting two or more joints

Musculoskeletal System · 38 CFR § 4.71a · Diagnostic Code 5002

What This Condition Is

Diagnostic Code 5002 covers multi-joint arthritis affecting 2 or more joints as an active process — meaning ongoing, active disease rather than the lasting effects left behind after the disease quiets down. This code applies to inflammatory forms of arthritis, but specifically excludes post-traumatic arthritis and gout.

According to the VA's notes, examples of conditions rated under this code include (but are not limited to):

  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Psoriatic arthritis
  • Spondyloarthropathies

This code addresses the active disease process. For chronic residuals (the lasting effects that remain), the VA rates under Diagnostic Code 5003.

The Rating Levels

The VA assigns one of the following disability percentages based on how the active disease affects your health and daily functioning:

100%

Awarded with constitutional manifestations associated with active joint involvement, totally incapacitating.

60%

Awarded when the condition is less than the criteria for 100%, but with weight loss and anemia productive of severe impairment of health, or severely incapacitating exacerbations occurring 4 or more times a year — or a lesser number over prolonged periods.

40%

Awarded for symptom combinations productive of definite impairment of health, objectively supported by examination findings, or incapacitating exacerbations occurring 3 or more times a year.

20%

Awarded for one or two exacerbations a year in a well-established diagnosis.

What the VA Looks For

When rating under Diagnostic Code 5002, the VA focuses on the active disease process and considers factors such as:

  • Constitutional manifestations tied to active joint involvement and whether they are totally incapacitating (relevant at the 100% level)
  • Weight loss and anemia and their effect on your overall health
  • The severity and frequency of exacerbations — for example, how many severely incapacitating or incapacitating flare-ups occur per year, or whether a lesser number occurs over prolonged periods
  • Impairment of health, and whether it is objectively supported by examination findings
  • A well-established diagnosis, particularly at the lower rating level

Important Notes From the Rating Schedule

  • Chronic residuals (the lasting effects that remain after the active process) are rated separately under Diagnostic Code 5003.
  • The ratings for the active process are not combined with residual ratings for limitation of motion, ankylosis, or Diagnostic Code 5003. Instead, the VA assigns the higher evaluation of the two.

This information is drawn directly from the VA rating schedule under 38 CFR § 4.71a, Diagnostic Code 5002. Individual ratings depend on your specific medical evidence and examination findings.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.71a, diagnostic code 5002. The official version is the one that governs your rating.

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What next

How to claim this

Knowing the criteria is the first half. Getting your file to show them is the second.

  1. Find your level in the stack

    Read each rung against what your medical records already say. The level your records document today is the one the VA can support today.

  2. Name the gap

    Look at the rung above yours and write down exactly what it asks for that your file does not show yet — a diagnosis, a measurement, a prescribed brace, a doctor’s opinion linking it to service.

  3. Claim it by code

    File under diagnostic code 5002 and attach the evidence for the level you are asking for. Other Musculoskeletal System codes may cover your secondary conditions.

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