Degenerative Arthritis (Osteoarthritis)
Wear-and-tear arthritis confirmed by X-ray. VA rates it through the motion limits of each affected joint, with a 10 percent floor for a painful arthritic joint even when motion is nearly normal.
Presumptive condition — Chronic disease presumption (38 CFR 3.307/3.309(a))
Arthritis is a listed chronic disease: if it appears to a compensable degree (10 percent) within one year of separation from service, VA presumes it is service-connected without needing in-service documentation.
How the VA rates it
Degenerative arthritis established by X-ray is rated on limitation of motion under the diagnostic code for each specific joint involved (knee, hip, shoulder, ankle, etc.), so the actual percentage depends on the joint and can exceed the tiers listed here. When motion limitation is present but too mild to be compensable under the joint's own code, VA assigns 10 percent per affected major joint or group of minor joints, provided the limitation is objectively confirmed by findings like swelling, spasm, or painful motion. Under 38 CFR 4.59, an actually painful joint generally warrants at least the minimum compensable rating. Only when there is no limitation of motion at all do the X-ray-based 10 and 20 percent tiers below apply.
Rating criteria by percentage
Rated up to 20%X-ray evidence of arthritis in 2 or more major joints or 2 or more minor joint groups, with occasional incapacitating exacerbations (no compensable limitation of motion).
X-ray evidence of arthritis in 2 or more major joints or 2 or more minor joint groups (no limitation of motion); or 10 percent per major joint or minor joint group when motion is limited but noncompensable under that joint's code.
Secondary condition strategy
Commonly claimed secondary to this
Conditions veterans often develop from this one — each can be its own rating under 38 CFR 3.310.
- Major Depressive Disorder — Chronic multi-joint pain and progressive loss of function commonly support secondary depression claims.
- GERD — Long-term NSAID use for arthritis pain can cause or aggravate reflux and stomach problems, a recognized medication-side-effect pathway.
- Contralateral joint arthritis — Years of favoring a painful arthritic joint can overload and degrade the same joint on the opposite side; claim the opposite joint as secondary.
This is often secondary to
If you already have one of these service-connected, it may support connecting this condition.
- Knee Instability — Chronic instability accelerates cartilage wear in the same knee and stresses other weight-bearing joints.
- Meniscus Tear — Meniscal injury and meniscectomy are well-established accelerators of knee arthritis.
- Flat Feet (Pes Planus) — Altered biomechanics from flat feet can contribute to arthritis in the ankles, knees, and hips.
Evidence that strengthens this claim
- X-ray confirmation is the gateway: make sure imaging of every claimed joint is in the file, not just a clinical diagnosis of joint pain.
- Painful motion counts. Under 38 CFR 4.59 a painful arthritic joint should get at least 10 percent, so tell the examiner exactly where in the arc of motion pain begins.
- Claim each affected joint; ratings are assigned per joint and combined, which usually beats a single arthritis rating.
- If arthritis showed up within a year after separation, gather post-service treatment records from that first year to invoke the chronic disease presumption.
Rating rules to know
The X-ray-based 10 and 20 percent tiers cannot be combined with limitation-of-motion ratings for the same joints; it is one approach or the other. Each joint's rating is separate, and the bilateral factor (38 CFR 4.26) adds 10 percent of the combined value when paired extremities (both knees, both hips, etc.) are compensably rated.
Related diagnostic codes
More musculoskeletal conditions
Lumbosacral Strain (Low Back Strain)
Chronic strain of the low back muscles and ligaments, one of the most commonly claimed VA disabilities. VA rates it on how far you can bend and move your low back, not on how much it hurts.
Rated up to 100%
Limitation of Knee Flexion
The most commonly rated knee disability: how far you can bend the knee. Ratings run 0 to 30 percent based on measured flexion, with a 10 percent floor for a painful knee under the painful-motion rule.
Rated up to 30%
Cervical Strain (Neck Strain)
Chronic strain of the neck muscles and ligaments. VA rates it on how far you can move your neck under the same spine formula used for the low back, with neck-specific degree thresholds.
Rated up to 100%
Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)
Wear-and-tear breakdown of the spinal discs and joints, in the low back or neck. VA rates it on measured spinal motion under the same formula used for back and neck strain.
Rated up to 100%
Plantar Fasciitis
Inflammation of the tissue band supporting the arch, causing heel and arch pain. VA gave it its own diagnostic code in 2021, rated 10 to 30 percent based mainly on whether treatment provides relief.
Rated up to 40%
Limited Motion of the Ankle
Chronic ankle conditions (often old sprains or arthritis) are rated 10 or 20 percent based on measured loss of up-and-down motion, using specific degree cutoffs added to the rule in 2021.
Rated up to 20%
Disclaimer: Valor Rating is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. Always review your documents carefully before submitting to the VA. For official guidance, consult an accredited VSO, claims agent, or attorney.