Hip, ankylosis of — VA Rating Criteria (38 CFR DC 5250)

The VA rates Hip, ankylosis of under Diagnostic Code 5250 at the following tiers: 60%, 70%. The minimum 60% rating requires: Favorable, in flexion at an angle between 20° and 40°, and slight adduction or abduction. The maximum 70% rating requires: Intermediate.

Diagnostic Code 5250 is the VA rating identifier for Hip, ankylosis of 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 Hip, ankylosis of under DC 5250 is 70%. This tier requires: Intermediate. Veterans who cannot secure substantially gainful employment due to Hip, ankylosis of alone or in combination with other service-connected conditions may also qualify for TDIU at the 100% compensation rate under 38 CFR § 4.16.

Hip, ankylosis of is rated under 38 CFR 38 CFR § 4.71a, Diagnostic Code 5250. 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 Hip, ankylosis of include: Contralateral Hip Pain / Osteoarthritis (Compensatory), Knee Pain / Knee Osteoarthritis (Gait Alteration), Lumbar Strain / Lumbosacral Degenerative Disease (Compensatory). 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 Hip, ankylosis of 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.