38 CFR Part 4 — 38 CFR § 4.71a

Tarsal, or metatarsal bones, malunion of, or nonunion of — VA Diagnostic Code 5283

Musculoskeletal

Diagnostic code

5283

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38 CFR § 4.71a lists Diagnostic Code 5283 in the table captioned “The Foot.” The title is “Tarsal, or metatarsal bones, malunion of, or nonunion of:”. The commas and the colon are in the schedule. The rating cell on that title is empty. Severe is 30. Moderately severe is 20. Moderate is 10. The word “severe” in “Moderately severe” is not capitalized. The note on the next row reads: “With actual loss of use of the foot, rate 40 percent.” Appendix B to Part 4 indexes the code as “Tarsal or metatarsal bones.”

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 § 4.63 source note prints 29 FR 6718, May 22, 1964, as amended at 43 FR 45349, Oct. 2, 1978.

The rating criteria at each level

5283 Tarsal, or metatarsal bones, malunion of, or nonunion of

Rating %: 30

Criteria (verbatim). Severe

Rating %: 20

Criteria (verbatim). Moderately severe

Rating %: 10

Criteria (verbatim). Moderate

Rating %	Criteria (verbatim)
30	Severe
20	Moderately severe
10	Moderate

The Foot table has one Rating column. It does not split Major and Minor.

The note is “With actual loss of use of the foot, rate 40 percent.” It ends with a period. It is printed in the row after Moderate.

“Moderately severe” capitalizes “Moderately” and not “severe.” The muscle-injury tables later in Part 4 capitalize “Moderately Severe.” This foot row does not.

DC 5284 is “Foot injuries, other:”. It prints Severe 30, Moderately severe 20, and Moderate 10. Its note is the same sentence: “With actual loss of use of the foot, rate 40 percent.” The DC 5283 title names malunion or nonunion of the tarsal or metatarsal bones. The DC 5284 title says “Foot injuries, other.”

DC 5167 is “Foot, loss of use of,” at 40, with superscript 2. That lower-extremity footnote reads “Also entitled to special monthly compensation.” The DC 5283 note says to rate 40 percent. It does not say “also entitled,” and it does not cite § 3.350. 38 CFR § 4.63 defines loss of use of a hand or a foot, for the purpose of special monthly compensation, and for the foot it names balance and propulsion. Section 4.63 does not assign the DC 5283 percentages.

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 is diagnostic code 5165, also 40 percent. The example does not name DC 5283. 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 of its own. 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.

The 2026-10-01 text of 38 CFR § 3.309 does not contain “tarsal” or “metatarsal.” DC 5283 is a rating-schedule line.

Source: 38 CFR § 4.71a, Diagnostic Code 5283, eCFR full-text XML for 2026-10-01.

What the words mean in your records

30, 20, and 10

Severe is 30. Moderately severe is 20. Moderate is 10. The note after those lines is 40 percent for actual loss of use of the foot.

The commas are in the title

The rating title is “Tarsal, or metatarsal bones, malunion of, or nonunion of:”. Appendix B shortens that to “Tarsal or metatarsal bones.”

The 40 percent note is not footnote 2

DC 5167 prints 40 with superscript 2 and the words “Also entitled to special monthly compensation.” The DC 5283 note is a different sentence. It says to rate 40 percent.

Evidence that speaks to each level

30, 20, or 10

What the rater needs to see. Malunion or nonunion of tarsal or metatarsal bones described as severe, moderately severe, or moderate.

Where that usually lives. Imaging and the foot examination.

40 — the loss-of-use note

What the rater needs to see. Actual loss of use of the foot, which is the sentence in the DC 5283 note. Section 4.63 is the special-monthly-compensation definition and names balance and propulsion for the foot.

Where that usually lives. The examination. The note itself is a 40 percent schedular sentence. It does not say “also entitled.”

Level	What the rater needs to see	Where that usually lives
30, 20, or 10	Malunion or nonunion of tarsal or metatarsal bones described as severe, moderately severe, or moderate.	Imaging and the foot examination.
40 — the loss-of-use note	Actual loss of use of the foot, which is the sentence in the DC 5283 note. Section 4.63 is the special-monthly-compensation definition and names balance and propulsion for the foot.	The examination. The note itself is a 40 percent schedular sentence. It does not say “also entitled.”

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 5283 prints 30, 20, and 10, and a note at 40 percent for actual loss of use of the foot. This page does not say the foot form replaces those lines.

Related codes and how they interact

Other foot injuries use the same three words and the same note.

DC 5284 prints Severe, Moderately severe, and Moderate at 30, 20, and 10, and the same loss-of-use sentence. Its title is “Foot injuries, other.” DC 5283 names the tarsal or metatarsal bones.

Secondary conditions and presumptions

Section 3.309 does not contain “tarsal” or “metatarsal.” The 40 percent note does not cite § 3.350.

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 malunion or nonunion of the tarsal or metatarsal bones?

Under 38 CFR § 4.71a, Diagnostic Code 5283 is 30 percent for severe, 20 percent for moderately severe, and 10 percent for moderate. The note says to rate actual loss of use of the foot at 40 percent. Education only. VA decides on the evidence.

What does Appendix B call this code?

Appendix B says “Tarsal or metatarsal bones.” The rating title is “Tarsal, or metatarsal bones, malunion of, or nonunion of:”.

FAQ

What percentages does DC 5283 print?

Severe is 30. Moderately severe is 20. Moderate is 10. The note says: “With actual loss of use of the foot, rate 40 percent.” Education only.

How is “Moderately severe” capitalized?

On this foot row, “Moderately” is capitalized and “severe” is not. The muscle tables use “Moderately Severe.” DC 5284, other foot injuries, uses the same “Moderately severe” spelling as DC 5283.

Does the 40 percent note award special monthly compensation by itself?

The note says to rate 40 percent. It does not say “also entitled.” Loss of use of the foot as a titled code is DC 5167, at 40 with superscript 2. That footnote is a different sentence. This page does not state a payment amount.

Next steps

Read the decision for DC 5283 and whether it used severe, moderately severe, moderate, or the loss-of-use 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 5283 • 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.