38 CFR Part 4 — 38 CFR § 4.71a

Five digits of one hand, amputation of — VA Diagnostic Code 5126

Musculoskeletal

Diagnostic code

5126

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38 CFR § 4.71a lists Diagnostic Code 5126 under a centered line that reads “multiple finger amputations,” in lowercase, inside the table captioned “Amputations: Upper Extremity.” The title is “Five digits of one hand, amputation of.” It does not end with a period. The Major column is 70. The Minor column is 60. Footnote 1 is on both numbers. Appendix B to Part 4 indexes the code as “Five digits of one hand.”

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 § 4.69 source note prints 62 FR 30239, June 3, 1997.

The rating criteria at each level

5126 Five digits of one hand, amputation of — Major and Minor columns

Rating %: 70 major, 60 minor

Criteria (verbatim). Five digits of one hand, amputation of

Rating %	Criteria (verbatim)
70 major, 60 minor	Five digits of one hand, amputation 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.

The centered line above the code is “multiple finger amputations.” The letters are lowercase in the schedule.

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 § 4.68 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 5126.

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 5126 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. DC 5125 is loss of use of the hand: 70 major and 60 minor, with the same style of footnote 1. DC 5124 is forearm amputation below insertion of the pronator teres, the same two numbers. DC 5127 is four digits, thumb, index, long and ring, also 70 major and 60 minor. The titles are different.

Source: 38 CFR § 4.71a, Diagnostic Code 5126, 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 5126 row. The same pair is on loss of use of the hand and on amputation below insertion of the pronator teres. The DC 5126 title is amputation of five digits of one hand.

The footnote does not say “Also”

Footnote 1 of the upper-extremity amputation table reads “Entitled to special monthly compensation.” The lower-extremity table’s footnote 2, and the combinations table’s footnote 1, use the word “Also.” Those are different footnotes.

Appendix B drops “amputation of”

The rating table says “Five digits of one hand, amputation of.” Appendix B says “Five digits of one hand.”

Evidence that speaks to each level

70 major, 60 minor

What the rater needs to see. Amputation of five digits of one hand, which is the DC 5126 title, 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
70 major, 60 minor	Amputation of five digits of one hand, which is the DC 5126 title, 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” and “Hand and Finger” under Musculoskeletal. The files are Amputations and Hand and Finger.

The exam form

DC 5126 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 5125 is loss of use of the hand. DC 5124 is forearm amputation below insertion of the pronator teres. DC 5127 starts the four-digit rows. Each of those rows prints 70 major and 60 minor. DC 5126’s title is five digits of one hand.

Secondary conditions and presumptions

The 2026-10-01 text of 38 CFR § 3.309 does not contain this amputation title. DC 5126 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 amputation of five digits of one hand?

Under 38 CFR § 4.71a, Diagnostic Code 5126 is 70 for the major hand and 60 for the minor hand. 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 5126.

FAQ

What are the ratings for amputation of five digits of one hand?

70 in the Major column and 60 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 loss of use of the hand the same title?

No. Loss of use of the hand is DC 5125. It prints the same 70 and 60. The DC 5126 title is “Five digits of one hand, 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 5126 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 5126 • 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.