Musculoskeletal System§ 4.71aUpdated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 5297Ribs, removal of

Rated from 10% to 50% under § 4.71a. Here is what the VA requires at each level.

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  1. 50%

    More than six

  2. 40%

    Five or six

  3. 30%

    Three or four

  4. 20%

    Two

  5. 10%

    One or resection of two or more ribs without regeneration

From the schedule

Notes on this code

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

  • Note (1): The rating for rib resection or removal is not to be applied with ratings for purrulent pleurisy, lobectomy, pneumonectomy or injuries of pleural cavity.
  • Note (2): However, rib resection will be considered as rib removal in thoracoplasty performed for collapse therapy or to accomplish obliteration of space and will be combined with the rating for lung collapse, or with the rating for lobectomy, pneumonectomy or the graduated ratings for pulmonary tuberculosis.

VA Disability Rating: Removal of Ribs (Diagnostic Code 5297)

Musculoskeletal System — 38 CFR § 4.71a

Understanding This Condition

Diagnostic Code 5297 addresses disability ratings for the removal of ribs. Under this code, the VA assigns a rating based on how many ribs have been removed, or in certain cases, on the resection of ribs. The more ribs involved, the higher the potential rating.

Available Rating Levels

The VA uses the following schedule of ratings for rib removal:

RatingCriteria
50%More than six ribs
40%Five or six ribs
30%Three or four ribs
20%Two ribs
10%One rib, or resection of two or more ribs without regeneration

What the VA Looks For

When rating under Diagnostic Code 5297, the VA focuses on the number of ribs removed, and in some cases, whether ribs were resected without regeneration. Two important rules apply to how this rating is used:

  • Note (1): The rating for rib resection or removal is not to be applied together with ratings for purulent pleurisy, lobectomy, pneumonectomy, or injuries of the pleural cavity.

  • Note (2): However, rib resection will be considered as rib removal in thoracoplasty performed for collapse therapy or to accomplish obliteration of space, and will be combined with the rating for lung collapse, or with the rating for lobectomy, pneumonectomy, or the graduated ratings for pulmonary tuberculosis.

This information is drawn from the VA rating schedule under 38 CFR § 4.71a for Diagnostic Code 5297. Individual ratings depend on the specific facts of each case as evaluated by the VA.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.71a, diagnostic code 5297. 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 5297 and attach the evidence for the level you are asking for. Other Musculoskeletal System codes may cover your secondary conditions.

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