Complete amputation, upper extremity — VA Diagnostic Code 5120

38 CFR § 4.69 says handedness for the purpose of a dominant rating will be determined by the evidence of record, or by testing on VA examination. Only one hand shall be considered dominant. The injured hand, or the most severely injured hand, of an ambidextrous individual will be considered the dominant hand for rating purposes. Section 4.69 does not use the words “Major” and “Minor.” Those are the column headings.

DC 5121 is the next numbered row: “Above insertion of deltoid,” 90 major and 80 minor, with the same footnote 1. The DC 5120 disarticulation row is 90 and 90. The DC 5121 minor number is 80, not 90. The multiple-finger paragraphs (a) through (f) are printed under the “multiple finger amputations” line, which is below DC 5125. They are not printed on DC 5120.

38 CFR § 4.68 says the combined rating for disabilities of an extremity shall not exceed the rating for the amputation at the elective level, were amputation to be performed. For example, the combined evaluations for disabilities below the knee shall not exceed the 40 percent evaluation, diagnostic code 5165. This 40 percent rating may be further combined with evaluation for disabilities above the knee but not to exceed the above the knee amputation elective level. Painful neuroma of a stump after amputation shall be assigned the evaluation for the elective site of reamputation. The example names diagnostic code 5165. It does not name DC 5120. 38 CFR § 4.63 defines loss of use of a hand or a foot for special monthly compensation. Section 4.63 does not name forequarter amputation and does not name DC 5120.

38 CFR § 3.350(a) says special monthly compensation under 38 U.S.C. 1114(k) is payable for each anatomical loss or loss of use of one hand, one foot, and the other losses that sentence lists. The DC 5120 footnote does not cite § 3.350. This page does not state a payment amount. 38 CFR § 4.7 assigns the higher rating when the disability picture more nearly approximates the criteria required for that rating. Otherwise, the lower rating will be assigned. 38 CFR § 4.6 requires each element affecting the evidence to be studied so that decisions will be equitable and just. The code prints no 0 percent line. 38 CFR § 4.31 says that in every instance where the schedule does not provide a zero percent evaluation for a diagnostic code, a zero percent evaluation shall be assigned when the requirements for a compensable evaluation are not met.

The 2026-10-01 text of 38 CFR § 3.309 paragraph (c) says ischemic heart disease or other cardiovascular disease developing in a veteran who has a service-connected amputation of one lower extremity at or above the knee, or service-connected amputations of both lower extremities at or above the ankles, shall be held to be the proximate result of the service-connected amputation or amputations. That paragraph does not assign DC 5120, DC 5130, or DC 5131, and it does not say upper extremity, humerus, or finger. This page does not add this code to that row. A separate question, when a presumption does not decide it, is a medical question on the facts under 38 CFR § 3.310. Paragraph (a) covers disability proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disease or injury. Paragraph (b) covers increase in severity and requires a medical baseline.

Source: 38 CFR § 4.71a, Diagnostic Code 5120, eCFR full-text XML for 2026-10-01.