38 CFR Part 4 — 38 CFR § 4.71a

Hand, loss of use of — VA Diagnostic Code 5125

Musculoskeletal

Diagnostic code

5125

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38 CFR § 4.71a lists Diagnostic Code 5125 under Amputations: Upper Extremity. The title is “Hand, loss of use of.” The Major column is 70. The Minor column is 60. Footnote 1 is on both numbers.

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 rating criteria at each level

5125 Hand, loss of use of — Major and Minor columns

Rating %: 70 major, 60 minor

Criteria (verbatim). Hand, loss of use of

Rating %	Criteria (verbatim)
70 major, 60 minor	Hand, loss of use of

The table is headed Amputations: Upper Extremity, with columns Rating, Major, and Minor. Footnote 1 on both the 70 and the 60 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.

38 CFR § 4.63 defines loss of use of a hand or a foot for the purpose of special monthly compensation. It is held to exist when no effective function remains other than that which would be equally well served by an amputation stump at the site of election below elbow or knee with use of a suitable prosthetic appliance. The determination is made on the actual remaining function, whether the acts of grasping, manipulation, and so on, in the case of the hand, could be accomplished equally well by an amputation stump with prosthesis. That section is the SMC definition. The DC 5125 percentages are the rating-schedule line.

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, among other listed losses. The DC 5125 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 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 5125, eCFR full-text XML for 2026-10-01.

What the words mean in your records

Major 70 and minor 60

Those are the two numbers on the DC 5125 row. DC 5124, forearm amputation below insertion of the pronator teres, prints the same two numbers. DC 5126, amputation of five digits of one hand, prints the same two numbers. The titles are different.

The wrist note that names this code

The note under DC 5214, wrist ankylosis, says: “Extremely unfavorable ankylosis will be rated as loss of use of hands under diagnostic code 5125.” The public page for DC 5214 is the wrist guide. DC 5215 is limitation of motion of the wrist, a different code.

The amputation rule

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 in that section is the 40 percent evaluation under diagnostic code 5165. The example does not name DC 5125.

Evidence that speaks to each level

70 major, 60 minor

What the rater needs to see. Loss of use of the hand, which is the DC 5125 title, in the major or minor column.

Where that usually lives. The examination of remaining hand function. Section 4.63 is the SMC definition of loss of use. 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 loss of use of one hand. This page does not state a payment amount.

Level	What the rater needs to see	Where that usually lives
70 major, 60 minor	Loss of use of the hand, which is the DC 5125 title, in the major or minor column.	The examination of remaining hand function. Section 4.63 is the SMC definition of loss of use. 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 loss of use of one hand. This page does not state a payment amount.

VA’s public DBQ list, checked October 5, 2026, names “Amputations” and “Hand and Finger” under Musculoskeletal. The files are Amputations and Hand and Finger.

The exam form

DC 5125 prints 70 major and 60 minor, with footnote 1. This page does not say either form replaces that row.

Related codes and how they interact

Same numbers, different titles

DC 5124 is forearm amputation below insertion of the pronator teres: 70 major and 60 minor, with the same style of footnote 1 on that table. DC 5126 is amputation of five digits of one hand: 70 major and 60 minor. DC 5125’s title is loss of use of the hand.

38 CFR § 4.14 says the evaluation of the same disability under various diagnoses is to be avoided, and that the evaluation of the same manifestation under different diagnoses is to be avoided.

Secondary conditions and presumptions

The 2026-10-01 text of 38 CFR § 3.309 does not contain “loss of use.” DC 5125 is a rating-schedule line, not a § 3.309 name.

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

What is the VA rating for loss of use of the hand?

Under 38 CFR § 4.71a, Diagnostic Code 5125 is 70 percent in the Major column and 60 percent in the Minor column. Footnote 1 says entitled to special monthly compensation. Education only. VA decides on the evidence.

Does extremely unfavorable wrist ankylosis use this code?

The DC 5214 note says extremely unfavorable ankylosis will be rated as loss of use of hands under diagnostic code 5125.

FAQ

How does VA rate loss of use of the hand under DC 5125?

The Major column is 70. The Minor column is 60. Footnote 1 says entitled to special monthly compensation. The footnote does not name a level or a dollar amount. Education only.

Which hand is major?

The column headings are Major and Minor. Section 4.69 says only one hand shall be considered dominant, determined by the evidence of record or by testing on VA examination. It does not use the words Major and Minor.

What is the § 4.63 definition?

For special monthly compensation, loss of use of a hand exists when no effective function remains other than that which would be equally well served by an amputation stump at the site of election below the elbow with a suitable prosthesis. The acts named for the hand are grasping, manipulation, and so on. The DC 5125 percentages are a separate line.

Next steps

Read the decision for DC 5125, which column was used, and any special-monthly-compensation footnote.
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 wrist page is the wrist guide.

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 5125 • 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.