38 CFR Part 4 — 38 CFR § 4.71a

Hammer toe — VA Diagnostic Code 5282

Musculoskeletal

Diagnostic code

5282

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38 CFR § 4.71a lists Diagnostic Code 5282 in the table captioned “The Foot.” The title is “Hammer toe:”. The colon is in the schedule. The rating cell on that title is empty. “All toes, unilateral without claw foot” is 10. “Single toes” is 0. Neither criteria line ends with a period. The table has one Rating column. Appendix B to Part 4 indexes “Hammer toe.” and ends 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 source note uses a comma, not a semicolon, before 85 FR 85523 and before 86 FR 8142.

The rating criteria at each level

5282 Hammer toe

Rating %: 10

Criteria (verbatim). All toes, unilateral without claw foot

Rating %: 0

Criteria (verbatim). Single toes

Rating %	Criteria (verbatim)
10	All toes, unilateral without claw foot
0	Single toes

The 10 percent line contains the words “without claw foot.” The 0 percent line, “Single toes,” does not repeat those words.

DC 5278, claw foot (pes cavus), acquired, uses the words “all toes hammer toes” inside its marked-contraction line. That line is not DC 5282. Bilateral marked contraction is 50. Unilateral marked contraction is 30.

The note “Not to be combined with claw foot ratings.” is printed on the DC 5281 row, hallux rigidus, not on DC 5282. That note is not inside a bold tag, and the cell begins with a space before “Note:”. The DC 5283 note is bold and is a different sentence.

DC 5281 says “Rate as hallux valgus, severe.” The claw-foot note sits under that code. DC 5278 is claw foot. Its slight line is 0. Its “all toes hammer toes” words are on the marked-contraction line, not on DC 5282. DC 5283 and DC 5284 each have a note: “With actual loss of use of the foot, rate 40 percent.” That sentence is not printed on DC 5282.

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. DC 5282 prints a 0 percent line for single toes. 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. The 2026-10-01 text of 38 CFR § 3.309 does not contain “hammer” or “5282.” 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.

Source: 38 CFR § 4.71a, Diagnostic Code 5282, eCFR full-text XML for 2026-10-01.

What the words mean in your records

All toes, 10, and single toes, 0

Those are the only two criteria lines. The 10 percent line is unilateral and says “without claw foot.” The 0 percent line says “Single toes.”

The colon is on the title

The rating title ends with a colon. Appendix B says “Hammer toe.” with a period and without the colon.

Claw foot names hammer toes in a different code

DC 5278’s marked line includes “all toes hammer toes,” with no hyphen. That code’s unilateral marked rating is 30, not the DC 5282 10.

Evidence that speaks to each level

What the rater needs to see. Hammer toe of all toes, unilateral, without claw foot.

Where that usually lives. The foot examination describing which toes and whether claw foot is also present.

What the rater needs to see. The line “Single toes,” which is the 0 percent line.

Where that usually lives. The same examination, read against that line.

Level	What the rater needs to see	Where that usually lives
10	Hammer toe of all toes, unilateral, without claw foot.	The foot examination describing which toes and whether claw foot is also present.
0	The line “Single toes,” which is the 0 percent line.	The same examination, read against that line.

VA’s public DBQ list, checked October 5, 2026, names “Foot Conditions Including Flatfoot (Pes Planus)” under Musculoskeletal. The file is Foot Conditions Including Flatfoot (Pes Planus).

The exam form

DC 5282 prints 10 and 0. This page does not say the foot form replaces those two lines.

Related codes and how they interact

Claw foot is DC 5278.

The marked claw-foot line names all toes hammer toes, very painful callosities, and marked varus deformity. DC 5282’s 10 percent line says without claw foot. The “not to be combined with claw foot ratings” note is on DC 5281.

Secondary conditions and presumptions

Section 3.309 does not contain “hammer” or “5282.” DC 5282 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 hammer toe under DC 5282?

Under 38 CFR § 4.71a, all toes, unilateral without claw foot, is 10 percent, and single toes is 0 percent. Education only. VA decides on the evidence.

What does Appendix B call this code?

Appendix B indexes “Hammer toe.” with a period. The rating title is “Hammer toe:” with a colon.

FAQ

What percentages does DC 5282 print?

10 for all toes, unilateral without claw foot, and 0 for single toes. The title ends with a colon. Education only.

Does the claw-foot note sit on this code?

The note “Not to be combined with claw foot ratings.” is on DC 5281. DC 5282’s own 10 percent line says “without claw foot.” DC 5278 is the claw-foot code, and it uses “all toes hammer toes” on a different line.

Does hammer toe use the 40 percent loss-of-use note?

That note is printed under DC 5283 and again under DC 5284. It is not printed under DC 5282.

Next steps

Read the decision for DC 5282 and whether it used all toes, unilateral without claw foot, or single toes.
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 5282 • va.gov

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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.