38 CFR Part 4 — 38 CFR § 4.71a

Forearm, amputation of, above insertion of pronator teres — VA Diagnostic Code 5123

Musculoskeletal

Diagnostic code

5123

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38 CFR § 4.71a lists Diagnostic Code 5123 in the table captioned “Amputations: Upper Extremity,” under the heading “Forearm, amputation of:”. The row is “Above insertion of pronator teres.” That row does not end with a period. The Major column is 80. The Minor column is 70. Footnote 1 is on both numbers. Appendix B to Part 4 indexes “Above insertion of pronator teres.” and does end with a period.

Reviewed 2026-10-05. Text checked against the eCFR versioner full-text XML for 2026-10-01 on 2026-10-05. Title 38 was up to date as of 2026-10-01 and last amended on 2026-08-27. The § 4.71a source note prints 29 FR 6718, May 22, 1964, as amended at 34 FR 5062, Mar. 11, 1969; 40 FR 42536, Sept. 15, 1975; 41 FR 11294, Mar. 18, 1976; 43 FR 45350, Oct. 2, 1978; 51 FR 6411, Feb. 24, 1986; 61 FR 20439, May 7, 1996; 67 FR 48785, July 26, 2002; 67 FR 54349, Aug. 22, 2002; 68 FR 51456, Aug. 27, 2003; 69 FR 32450, June 10, 2004; 80 FR 42041, July 16, 2015; 85 FR 76460, Nov. 30, 2020, 85 FR 85523, Dec. 29, 2020, 86 FR 8142, Feb. 4, 2021. The § 4.63 source note prints 29 FR 6718, May 22, 1964, as amended at 43 FR 45349, Oct. 2, 1978.

The rating criteria at each level

5123 Above insertion of pronator teres — Major and Minor columns

Rating %: 80 major, 70 minor

Criteria (verbatim). Above insertion of pronator teres

Rating %	Criteria (verbatim)
80 major, 70 minor	Above insertion of pronator teres

The heading above DC 5123 and DC 5124 is “Forearm, amputation of:”. The colon is in the schedule. The rating cells on that heading are empty.

The table is headed Amputations: Upper Extremity, with columns Rating, Major, and Minor. Footnote 1 on both the 80 and the 70 reads: Entitled to special monthly compensation.

That footnote does not say “Also,” does not name § 3.350, and does not name an SMC level. A different footnote in § 4.71a says “Also entitled to special monthly compensation.” That is not the footnote on this row.

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 5124 is the next row: “Below insertion of pronator teres,” 70 major and 60 minor, with the same footnote 1. DC 5125 is “Hand, loss of use of,” also 70 major and 60 minor. DC 5126 is amputation of five digits of one hand, also 70 major and 60 minor. The DC 5123 pair is 80 and 70.

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. The example is the 40 percent evaluation, diagnostic code 5165. The example does not name DC 5123. 38 CFR § 4.63 defines loss of use of a hand or a foot for special monthly compensation. Section 4.63 does not name the pronator teres and does not name DC 5123.

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 5123 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.

Source: 38 CFR § 4.71a, Diagnostic Code 5123, eCFR full-text XML for 2026-10-01.

What the words mean in your records

Major 80 and minor 70

Those are the two numbers on the DC 5123 row. The next row, below insertion of the pronator teres, is 70 and 60. Loss of use of the hand is also 70 and 60.

The footnote does not say “Also”

Footnote 1 of the upper-extremity amputation table reads “Entitled to special monthly compensation.” The combinations table and the lower-extremity table use the word “Also.” Those are different footnotes.

Appendix B adds a period

The rating row does not end with a period. Appendix B indexes “Above insertion of pronator teres.” with a period.

Evidence that speaks to each level

80 major, 70 minor

What the rater needs to see. Forearm amputation above insertion of the pronator teres, which is the DC 5123 row, in the major or minor column.

Where that usually lives. The amputation record. Section 4.69 is how dominance is determined.

Footnote 1

What the rater needs to see. The footnote says entitled to special monthly compensation. It does not name a level.

Where that usually lives. The same decision. Section 3.350(a) names anatomical loss of one hand. This page does not state a payment amount.

Level	What the rater needs to see	Where that usually lives
80 major, 70 minor	Forearm amputation above insertion of the pronator teres, which is the DC 5123 row, in the major or minor column.	The amputation record. Section 4.69 is how dominance is determined.
Footnote 1	The footnote says entitled to special monthly compensation. It does not name a level.	The same decision. Section 3.350(a) names anatomical loss of one hand. This page does not state a payment amount.

VA’s public DBQ list, checked October 5, 2026, names “Amputations” under Musculoskeletal. The file is Amputations.

The exam form

DC 5123 prints 80 major and 70 minor, with footnote 1. This page does not say the amputations form replaces that row.

Related codes and how they interact

Below the pronator teres is a different row.

DC 5124 is 70 major and 60 minor. DC 5125 and DC 5126 print that same 70 and 60. DC 5123 prints 80 and 70, under the same “Forearm, amputation of:” heading.

Secondary conditions and presumptions

The 2026-10-01 text of 38 CFR § 3.309 does not contain “pronator.” DC 5123 is a rating-schedule line.

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.

Short answers

How does VA rate forearm amputation above insertion of the pronator teres?

Under 38 CFR § 4.71a, Diagnostic Code 5123 is 80 for the major side and 70 for the minor side. Education only. VA decides on the evidence.

What does the amputation rule say about this code?

Section 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. Its example is diagnostic code 5165. The example does not name DC 5123.

FAQ

What are the ratings for forearm amputation above insertion of the pronator teres?

80 in the Major column and 70 in the Minor column. Footnote 1 says “Entitled to special monthly compensation.” It does not say “Also.” Education only. This page does not state a payment amount.

Is the below-insertion row the same numbers?

Below insertion of the pronator teres is DC 5124. It prints 70 major and 60 minor. DC 5123 prints 80 and 70. Both rows sit under “Forearm, amputation of:”.

How does the schedule decide major and minor?

Section 4.69 determines the dominant hand from the evidence of record or by testing on VA examination. Only one hand shall be considered dominant. The columns themselves are labeled Major and Minor.

Next steps

Read the decision for DC 5123 and whether it used the major column or the minor column.
The free worksheet is a place to write the code, the findings, and the records you already have. It does not file a claim or protect a filing date. An accredited representative is at find a VSO.
Other musculoskeletal codes are on the musculoskeletal diagnostic-code index. The category page is musculoskeletal conditions.

Education only. Not legal or medical advice. My Claim Packet is not a VA-accredited representative and does not file claims. VA decides every claim on its own evidence.

Other codes in this body system

Nearby catalog entries in Musculoskeletal, ordered by diagnostic code number. All Musculoskeletal codes

Also: DC code lookup (tools) lists the same index in a compact layout.

Source: 38 CFR Part 4, Diagnostic Code 5123 • va.gov

⚠️ Important Disclaimer

This page provides general educational information based on public VA regulations and VA.gov resources. It is not legal or medical advice, and My Claim Packet is not a VA-accredited representative. Any worksheets or draft documents produced by the tools must be reviewed for accuracy and are not filed with VA for you. Ratings and service connection are decided case-by-case from the individual record. Consult a VA-accredited VSO, claims agent, attorney, or qualified clinician for help with your situation, and verify current rules using the linked official source.