Musculoskeletal System§ 4.71aUpdated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 5284Foot injuries, other

Rated from 10% to 30% under § 4.71a. Here is what the VA requires at each level.

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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.

  1. 30%

    Severe

  2. 20%

    Moderately severe

  3. 10%

    Moderate

From the schedule

Notes on this code

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

  • Note: With actual loss of use of the foot, rate 40 percent.

Foot Injuries (Other) — VA Diagnostic Code 5284

Body System: Musculoskeletal System Regulation: 38 CFR § 4.71a Diagnostic Code: 5284

Understanding This Rating

Diagnostic Code 5284 covers "other" foot injuries — foot conditions that are rated based on how severe the injury is. Under the VA's rating schedule, this condition falls within the Musculoskeletal System and is evaluated using § 4.71a.

Available Rating Levels

The VA assigns a disability rating based on the severity of the foot injury:

RatingSeverity
30%Severe
20%Moderately severe
10%Moderate

Note: With actual loss of use of the foot, the condition is rated at 40 percent.

What the VA Looks For

When rating a foot injury under Diagnostic Code 5284, the VA evaluates the severity of the injury and places it into one of the levels above:

  • A moderate foot injury corresponds to a 10% rating.
  • A moderately severe foot injury corresponds to a 20% rating.
  • A severe foot injury corresponds to a 30% rating.
  • Where there is actual loss of use of the foot, the injury is rated at 40%.

The VA determines which level of severity best describes the foot injury when assigning the rating.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.71a, diagnostic code 5284. 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 5284 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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