Flatfoot, acquired — VA Rating Criteria (38 CFR DC 5276)

The VA rates Flatfoot, acquired under Diagnostic Code 5276 at the following tiers: 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 50%. The minimum 0% rating requires: Mild; symptoms relieved by built-up shoe or arch support. The maximum 50% rating requires: Bilateral.

Diagnostic Code 5276 is the VA rating identifier for Flatfoot, acquired within 38 CFR 38 CFR § 4.71a. It defines the specific symptom criteria and percentage thresholds a VA adjudicator uses to assign a disability rating. The diagnostic code is listed on a veteran's rating decision letter.

The highest schedular rating for Flatfoot, acquired under DC 5276 is 50%. This tier requires: Bilateral. Veterans who cannot secure substantially gainful employment due to Flatfoot, acquired alone or in combination with other service-connected conditions may also qualify for TDIU at the 100% compensation rate under 38 CFR § 4.16.

Flatfoot, acquired is rated under 38 CFR 38 CFR § 4.71a, Diagnostic Code 5276. This section is part of the Schedule for Rating Disabilities (38 CFR Part 4) and can be read in full at the eCFR website.

Conditions commonly secondary to Flatfoot, acquired include: Lumbar Spine Pain / Degenerative Disc Disease, Knee Pain / Medial Compartment Osteoarthritis, Morton's Neuroma / Metatarsalgia, Achilles Tendinitis / Tendinopathy, Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction (PTTD), Shin Splints / Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS). Secondary conditions caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability are ratable under 38 CFR § 3.310. Medical nexus evidence linking the primary and secondary condition is required.

The key evidence for Flatfoot, acquired depends on the body system. For musculoskeletal conditions, range of motion measurements (active, passive, weight-bearing, and non-weight-bearing per Correia v. McDonald) and documented flare-ups are the most impactful evidence. A nexus letter from a qualified medical professional is essential for contested claims.

Flatfoot, acquired maxes at 50%, below the single-disability TDIU threshold of 60%. However, combined with other service-connected disabilities totaling 70%+ (with one at 40%+), TDIU under § 4.16(a) may apply. Extraschedular TDIU under § 4.16(b) is available if Flatfoot, acquired alone prevents work regardless of the rating percentage.