38 CFR Part 4 — 38 CFR § 4.71a

Humerus, other impairment of — VA Diagnostic Code 5202

Musculoskeletal

Diagnostic code

5202

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38 CFR § 4.71a lists Diagnostic Code 5202 under The Shoulder and Arm as “Humerus, other impairment of.” The columns are Major and Minor. Appendix B to Part 4 indexes the code as “Humerus, other impairment,” without the word “of.” The rating table includes that word.

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

5202 Humerus, other impairment of — Major and Minor columns

Rating %: 80 major, 70 minor

Criteria (verbatim). Loss of head of (flail shoulder)

Rating %: 60 major, 50 minor

Criteria (verbatim). Nonunion of (false flail joint)

Rating %: 50 major, 40 minor

Criteria (verbatim). Fibrous union of

Rating %: —

Criteria (verbatim). Recurrent dislocation of at scapulohumeral joint:

Rating %: 30 major, 20 minor

Criteria (verbatim). With frequent episodes and guarding of all arm movements

Rating %: 20 major, 20 minor

Criteria (verbatim). With infrequent episodes and guarding of movement only at shoulder level (flexion and/or abduction at 90 °)

Rating %: —

Criteria (verbatim). Malunion of:

Rating %: 30 major, 20 minor

Criteria (verbatim). Marked deformity

Rating %: 20 major, 20 minor

Criteria (verbatim). Moderate deformity

Rating %	Criteria (verbatim)
80 major, 70 minor	Loss of head of (flail shoulder)
60 major, 50 minor	Nonunion of (false flail joint)
50 major, 40 minor	Fibrous union of
—	Recurrent dislocation of at scapulohumeral joint:
30 major, 20 minor	With frequent episodes and guarding of all arm movements
20 major, 20 minor	With infrequent episodes and guarding of movement only at shoulder level (flexion and/or abduction at 90 °)
—	Malunion of:
30 major, 20 minor	Marked deformity
20 major, 20 minor	Moderate deformity

The table caption is “The Shoulder and Arm.” Rating is the heading over two columns, Major and Minor. Blank cells under the dislocation heading and the malunion heading are not extra percentages.

The dislocation line says “Recurrent dislocation of at scapulohumeral joint.” The infrequent-episode line says “90 °,” with the degree sign. Those are the printed words.

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 § 4.7 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.

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 5202 does not print a 0 percent line.

Source: 38 CFR § 4.71a, Diagnostic Code 5202, eCFR full-text XML for 2026-10-01.

What the words mean in your records

Flail shoulder

“Loss of head of (flail shoulder)” is 80 in the Major column and 70 in the Minor column. Nonunion of (false flail joint) is 60 and 50. Fibrous union is 50 and 40.

A different code for motion

DC 5201 is limitation of motion of the arm. Its public page is the shoulder guide. DC 5200 is ankylosis of scapulohumeral articulation. DC 5203 is impairment of the clavicle or scapula. The DC 5202 title is other impairment of the humerus.

Appendix B drops “of”

The index line is “Humerus, other impairment.” The § 4.71a row is “Humerus, other impairment of.” The criteria are the major and minor lines under that row.

Evidence that speaks to each level

Loss of head, nonunion, or fibrous union

What the rater needs to see. The finding named on that line, and which arm the Major or Minor column is using.

Where that usually lives. The imaging and the examination of the shoulder.

Dislocation or malunion

What the rater needs to see. Frequent episodes with guarding of all arm movements, or infrequent episodes with guarding only at shoulder level, or marked or moderate deformity.

Where that usually lives. The history of episodes and the examination findings those lines name.

Level	What the rater needs to see	Where that usually lives
Loss of head, nonunion, or fibrous union	The finding named on that line, and which arm the Major or Minor column is using.	The imaging and the examination of the shoulder.
Dislocation or malunion	Frequent episodes with guarding of all arm movements, or infrequent episodes with guarding only at shoulder level, or marked or moderate deformity.	The history of episodes and the examination findings those lines name.

VA’s public DBQ list, checked October 5, 2026, names “Shoulder and/or Arm” under Musculoskeletal. The file is Shoulder and/or Arm.

The exam form

DC 5202 prints the major and minor lines above. This page does not say the form replaces those lines.

Related codes and how they interact

Limitation of motion of the arm is not this code.

The shoulder guide covers DC 5201. DC 5202 is the humerus impairment table. The schedule does not say to rate DC 5202 as DC 5201.

Secondary conditions and presumptions

The 2026-10-01 text of 38 CFR § 3.309 does not contain “humerus.” DC 5202 is not a chronic-disease row in that section.

Short answers

What is the VA rating for humerus impairment?

Under 38 CFR § 4.71a, Diagnostic Code 5202 uses Major and Minor columns. Flail shoulder is 80 and 70. The other lines are 60 and 50, 50 and 40, 30 and 20, or 20 and 20, as printed. Education only. VA decides on the evidence.

Which column is the dominant arm?

The table labels the columns Major and Minor. Section 4.69 states how a dominant hand is determined. It does not use the words Major and Minor.

FAQ

How does VA rate other impairment of the humerus under DC 5202?

Loss of the head (flail shoulder) is 80 major and 70 minor. Nonunion (false flail joint) is 60 and 50. Fibrous union is 50 and 40. Frequent dislocation with guarding of all arm movements is 30 and 20. Infrequent episodes with guarding only at shoulder level are 20 and 20. Marked malunion deformity is 30 and 20. Moderate deformity is 20 and 20. Education only.

What does “of at scapulohumeral joint” mean on the page?

Those are the words on the recurrent-dislocation heading. The schedule prints “Recurrent dislocation of at scapulohumeral joint.”

Is DC 5202 the same as limitation of motion of the arm?

No. Limitation of motion of the arm is DC 5201. Ankylosis is DC 5200. Clavicle or scapula impairment is DC 5203.

Next steps

Read the decision for DC 5202, the major or minor column, and which humerus line was used.
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 shoulder codes are on the musculoskeletal diagnostic-code index. The arm motion page is the shoulder 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 5202 • 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.