Musculoskeletal System§ 4.71aUpdated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 5007Arthritis, syphilitic

Rated under § 4.71a. No rating levels have been extracted for this code yet — use the official source.

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In short

Summary

With the types of arthritis, diagnostic codes 5004 through 5009, rate the acute phase under diagnostic code 5002; rate any chronic residuals under diagnostic code 5003.

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What each rating requires

The VA assigns the highest level your evidence actually supports. Read up the stack until your records stop matching.

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This code has no itemised criteria in our copy of the schedule. Use the official source link for the controlling text.

From the schedule

Notes on this code

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

  • Note (2): With the types of arthritis, diagnostic codes 5004 through 5009, rate the acute phase under diagnostic code 5002; rate any chronic residuals under diagnostic code 5003.

Syphilitic Arthritis (VA Diagnostic Code 5007)

Understanding how the VA rates syphilitic arthritis under the musculoskeletal rating schedule.

What This Condition Is

Syphilitic arthritis is a form of arthritis affecting the musculoskeletal system. Under the VA rating schedule, it is identified by Diagnostic Code 5007 and is evaluated under the regulations found in 38 CFR § 4.71a.

How the VA Rates It

Syphilitic arthritis is one of a group of arthritis types covered by diagnostic codes 5004 through 5009. Rather than having its own standalone rating levels, it is rated by cross-referencing two other diagnostic codes depending on the phase of the condition:

  • Acute phase: rated under Diagnostic Code 5002.
  • Chronic residuals: rated under Diagnostic Code 5003.

This approach is confirmed in the regulation's guidance:

Note (2): With the types of arthritis, diagnostic codes 5004 through 5009, rate the acute phase under diagnostic code 5002; rate any chronic residuals under diagnostic code 5003.

What the VA Looks For

When evaluating syphilitic arthritis, the VA distinguishes between:

  • The acute phase of the condition, which is rated according to the criteria under Diagnostic Code 5002, and
  • Any chronic residuals that remain, which are rated according to the criteria under Diagnostic Code 5003.

Because the rating is drawn from these referenced diagnostic codes, the specific level assigned depends on how the condition presents and is evaluated under those criteria.


This information is provided for general educational purposes and is based solely on the VA rating schedule entry for Diagnostic Code 5007 (38 CFR § 4.71a). It does not guarantee any particular rating or outcome.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.71a, diagnostic code 5007. 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 5007 and attach the evidence for the level you are asking for. Other Musculoskeletal System codes may cover your secondary conditions.

Find out which rating your evidence supports.

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