38 CFR Part 4 — 38 CFR § 4.71a

Traumatic paralysis, complete — VA Diagnostic Code 5244

Musculoskeletal

Diagnostic code

5244

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38 CFR § 4.71a lists Diagnostic Code 5244 as “Traumatic paralysis, complete:”. The rating cells are empty. Paraplegia is rated under diagnostic code 5110. Quadriplegia is rated separately under diagnostic codes 5109 and 5110 and combined under § 4.25. A note addresses incomplete paralysis. Appendix B to Part 4 indexes the code as “Traumatic paralysis, complete.”

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 § 4.25 source note prints 41 FR 11293, Mar. 18, 1976, as amended at 54 FR 27161, June 28, 1989; 54 FR 36029, Aug. 31, 1989; 83 FR 17756, Apr. 24, 2018.

The rating criteria at each level

5244 Traumatic paralysis, complete

Rating %: —

Criteria (verbatim). Paraplegia: Rate under diagnostic code 5110.

Rating %: —

Criteria (verbatim). Quadriplegia: Rate separately under diagnostic codes 5109 and 5110 and combine evaluations in accordance with § 4.25.

Rating %	Criteria (verbatim)
—	Paraplegia: Rate under diagnostic code 5110.
—	Quadriplegia: Rate separately under diagnostic codes 5109 and 5110 and combine evaluations in accordance with § 4.25.

Both instruction cells end with a period. DC 5244 does not print 100, or any other percentage, on its own row.

Note: If traumatic paralysis does not cause loss of use of both hands or both feet, it is incomplete paralysis. Evaluate residuals of incomplete traumatic paralysis under the appropriate diagnostic code (e.g., § 4.124a, Diseases of the Peripheral Nerves).

The note ends with a period after the closing parenthesis. The example it names is § 4.124a. The example is not the only code the note allows. The note says “the appropriate diagnostic code.”

DC 5110 is “Loss of use of both feet.” DC 5109 is “Loss of use of both hands.” Those rows print the percentages. DC 5244 tells the reader to rate under them. 38 CFR § 4.25 is the combined-ratings section the quadriplegia sentence names.

38 CFR § 4.63 defines loss of use of a hand or a foot for the purpose of special monthly compensation. The DC 5244 note uses that loss-of-use idea to separate complete paralysis from incomplete paralysis: if traumatic paralysis does not cause loss of use of both hands or both feet, it is incomplete paralysis. Section 4.63 does not assign the DC 5244 title.

The formula for rating intervertebral disc syndrome based on incapacitating episodes begins after the DC 5244 note. Those 60, 40, 20, and 10 lines are not printed on DC 5244. 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.

Source: 38 CFR § 4.71a, Diagnostic Code 5244, eCFR full-text XML for 2026-10-01.

What the words mean in your records

Paraplegia points at one code

The cell says “Paraplegia: Rate under diagnostic code 5110.” It does not also name diagnostic code 5109.

Quadriplegia names two codes and § 4.25

The cell says to rate quadriplegia separately under diagnostic codes 5109 and 5110 and combine evaluations in accordance with § 4.25. The percentages stay on those two codes.

Incomplete is the note, not a third percentage

If traumatic paralysis does not cause loss of use of both hands or both feet, the note calls it incomplete paralysis and points residuals to the appropriate diagnostic code, with § 4.124a as the example.

Evidence that speaks to each level

Paraplegia

What the rater needs to see. The DC 5110 evaluation the paraplegia cell names.

Where that usually lives. The examination of loss of use of both feet, and the decision that cites diagnostic code 5110.

Quadriplegia

What the rater needs to see. Separate evaluations under diagnostic codes 5109 and 5110, combined under § 4.25.

Where that usually lives. The examinations of both hands and both feet, and the combined-rating calculation.

Incomplete paralysis

What the rater needs to see. The note’s test: traumatic paralysis that does not cause loss of use of both hands or both feet. Residuals are evaluated under the appropriate diagnostic code. The example is § 4.124a.

Where that usually lives. The neurologic examination and the diagnostic code the decision uses for those residuals.

Level	What the rater needs to see	Where that usually lives
Paraplegia	The DC 5110 evaluation the paraplegia cell names.	The examination of loss of use of both feet, and the decision that cites diagnostic code 5110.
Quadriplegia	Separate evaluations under diagnostic codes 5109 and 5110, combined under § 4.25.	The examinations of both hands and both feet, and the combined-rating calculation.
Incomplete paralysis	The note’s test: traumatic paralysis that does not cause loss of use of both hands or both feet. Residuals are evaluated under the appropriate diagnostic code. The example is § 4.124a.	The neurologic examination and the diagnostic code the decision uses for those residuals.

VA’s public DBQ list, checked October 5, 2026, names “Amputations” under Musculoskeletal, “Back (Thoracolumbar Spine)” under Musculoskeletal, and “Peripheral Nerves” under Neurological. The files are Amputations, Back (Thoracolumbar Spine), and Peripheral Nerves.

The exam form

DC 5244 prints two rate-under sentences and a note. The note names § 4.124a as an example. This page does not say a form replaces those sentences.

Related codes and how they interact

The percentages are on DC 5109 and DC 5110.

DC 5109 is loss of use of both hands. DC 5110 is loss of use of both feet. DC 5244 does not reprint their numbers. The intervertebral-disc incapacitating-episode formula that follows DC 5244 is a different block.

Secondary conditions and presumptions

The 2026-10-01 text of 38 CFR § 3.309 does not contain “traumatic paralysis.” DC 5244 is a rating-schedule instruction.

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 complete traumatic paralysis?

Under 38 CFR § 4.71a, Diagnostic Code 5244 rates paraplegia under diagnostic code 5110 and rates quadriplegia separately under diagnostic codes 5109 and 5110, combined under § 4.25. Education only. VA decides on the evidence.

Which sentence names § 4.25?

The quadriplegia sentence. The paraplegia sentence names diagnostic code 5110 only.

FAQ

How does VA rate complete traumatic paralysis under DC 5244?

Paraplegia is rated under diagnostic code 5110. Quadriplegia is rated separately under diagnostic codes 5109 and 5110, and those evaluations are combined under § 4.25. DC 5244 does not print a percentage of its own. Education only.

What if the paralysis is incomplete?

The note says that if traumatic paralysis does not cause loss of use of both hands or both feet, it is incomplete paralysis. Residuals are evaluated under the appropriate diagnostic code. The example in parentheses is § 4.124a, Diseases of the Peripheral Nerves.

Are the intervertebral-disc episode percentages part of DC 5244?

No. The formula for rating intervertebral disc syndrome based on incapacitating episodes begins after the DC 5244 note. DC 5244’s own cells are the paraplegia sentence and the quadriplegia sentence.

Next steps

Read the decision for DC 5244 and whether it used DC 5110, DC 5109 and DC 5110, or the incomplete-paralysis note.
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 5244 • 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.