VA Diagnostic Code 5131Index, long, ring and little

A single 60% rating under § 4.71a. Here is what the VA requires for it.

View official source

Not the right code?

The ladder

What each rating requires

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

60%50% non-dominant
Index, long, ring and little

From the schedule

Notes on this code

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

(a) The ratings for multiple finger amputations apply to amputations at the proximal interphalangeal joints or through proximal phalanges.
(b) Amputation through middle phalanges will be rated as prescribed for unfavorable ankylosis of the fingers.
(c) Amputations at distal joints, or through distal phalanges, other than negligible losses, will be rated as prescribed for favorable ankylosis of the fingers.
(d) Amputation or resection of metacarpal bones (more than one-half the bone lost) in multiple fingers injuries will require a rating of 10 percent added to (not combined with) the ratings, multiple finger amputations, subject to the amputation rule applied to the forearm.
(e) Combinations of finger amputations at various levels, or finger amputations with ankylosis or limitation of motion of the fingers will be rated on the basis of the grade of disability; i.e., amputation, unfavorable ankylosis, most representative of the levels or combinations. With an even number of fingers involved, and adjacent grades of disability, select the higher of the two grades.
(f) Loss of use of the hand will be held to exist when no effective function remains other than that which would be equally well served by an amputation stump with a suitable prosthetic appliance.

Multiple Finger Amputation — Index, Long, Ring and Little Fingers (Diagnostic Code 5131)

Musculoskeletal System · 38 CFR § 4.71a

Understanding This Condition

This VA disability rating covers the amputation of four fingers on the same hand: the index, long, ring, and little fingers. It is part of the schedule the VA uses to evaluate musculoskeletal disabilities affecting the hand.

Because this rating involves multiple fingers, the VA follows specific rules about where an amputation occurs and how it combines with other conditions of the hand. The level at which a finger is lost affects how it is rated.

Available Rating Levels

Rating	Criteria	Non-Dominant (Minor) Extremity
60%	Amputation of the index, long, ring, and little fingers	50%

The higher rating (60%) applies when the affected hand is the dominant hand. When the affected hand is the non-dominant (minor) hand, the rating is 50%.

What the VA Looks For

When rating multiple finger amputations under this code, the VA considers the following:

Level of amputation. The ratings for multiple finger amputations apply to amputations at the proximal interphalangeal joints or through the proximal phalanges.
Amputation through the middle phalanges will be rated as prescribed for unfavorable ankylosis of the fingers.
Amputations at distal joints, or through distal phalanges (other than negligible losses) will be rated as prescribed for favorable ankylosis of the fingers.
Loss of metacarpal bone. Amputation or resection of metacarpal bones (more than one-half the bone lost) in multiple finger injuries requires a rating of 10 percent added to (not combined with) the multiple finger amputation ratings, subject to the amputation rule applied to the forearm.
Combinations of amputation levels. Combinations of finger amputations at various levels — or finger amputations along with ankylosis or limitation of motion of the fingers — are rated based on the grade of disability (amputation or unfavorable ankylosis) most representative of the levels or combinations involved. When an even number of fingers is involved with adjacent grades of disability, the VA selects the higher of the two grades.
Loss of use of the hand. Loss of use is considered to exist when no effective function remains other than that which would be equally well served by an amputation stump with a suitable prosthetic appliance.

This information is provided for general educational purposes and is drawn directly from the VA rating schedule under 38 CFR § 4.71a. Individual ratings depend on the specific facts of each case.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.71a, diagnostic code 5131. The official version is the one that governs your rating.

View official source

What next

How to claim this

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

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.
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.
Claim it by code
File under diagnostic code 5131 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.

Six reads your records against these exact criteria and tells you what the VA is still missing.

Start for free All 159 Musculoskeletal System codes →