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.

Service connection for Flatfoot, acquired requires three elements: (1) a current diagnosis of the condition, (2) an in-service event, injury, or disease that may have caused or aggravated it, and (3) a medical nexus connecting the current diagnosis to that in-service event. A nexus letter from a treating physician or independent medical examiner is the most reliable nexus evidence. C&P exam findings can also establish nexus if adequately documented.