38 CFR Part 4 — 38 CFR § 4.71a
Muscle Group XXII — VA Diagnostic Code 5322
Musculoskeletal
Diagnostic code
5322
38 CFR § 4.73 lists Diagnostic Code 5322 in the table captioned “The Torso and Neck.” The title cell is “5322 Group XXII. Function: Rotary and forward movements of the head; respiration; deglutition. Muscles of the front of the neck: (Lateral, supra-, and infrahyoid group.) (1) Trapezius I (clavicular insertion); (2) sternocleidomastoid; (3) the “hyoid” muscles; (4) sternothyroid; (5) digastric”. The rating cell on that title is empty. The column header is “Rating.” Severe is 30. Moderately Severe is 20. Moderate is 10. Slight is 0. The parenthetical “(Lateral, supra-, and infrahyoid group.)” includes the period inside the closing parenthesis. The word hyoid is inside curly quotation marks. Appendix B indexes “Group XXII Function: Rotary and forward movements, head.” It uses a comma before head and does not name respiration or deglutition. The catalog row cites § 4.71a. The 2026-10-01 text places this code in § 4.73.
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 § 4.73 source note prints 62 FR 30239, June 3, 1997, as amemded 85 FR 76464, Nov. 30, 2020. The word “amemded” is the spelling in that source note. The § 4.56 source note prints 62 FR 30238, June 3, 1997. The § 4.56 authority line prints “(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 1155” and does not print the closing parenthesis. The § 4.55 source note prints 62 FR 30237, June 3, 1997.
The rating criteria at each level
5322 Group XXII — The Torso and Neck
Rating %: 30
Criteria (verbatim). Severe
Rating %: 20
Criteria (verbatim). Moderately Severe
Rating %: 10
Criteria (verbatim). Moderate
Rating %: 0
Criteria (verbatim). Slight
| Rating % | Criteria (verbatim) |
|---|---|
| 30 | Severe |
| 20 | Moderately Severe |
| 10 | Moderate |
| 0 | Slight |
Note (2) of § 4.73: Ratings of slight, moderate, moderately severe, or severe for diagnostic codes 5301 through 5323 will be determined based upon the criteria contained in § 4.56.
Section 4.56(c) says: “For VA rating purposes, the cardinal signs and symptoms of muscle disability are loss of power, weakness, lowered threshold of fatigue, fatigue-pain, impairment of coordination and uncertainty of movement.” There is no comma before “and uncertainty.”
Section 4.56(d) says: “Under diagnostic codes 5301 through 5323, disabilities resulting from muscle injuries shall be classified as slight, moderate, moderately severe or severe as follows:” There is no comma before “or severe.”
Section 4.56(b) says a through-and-through injury with muscle damage shall be evaluated as no less than a moderate injury for each group of muscles damaged. Paragraph (b) hyphenates “through-and-through.” Paragraph (d)(2) says “Through and through” without those hyphens.
Section 4.56(a) says an open comminuted fracture with muscle or tendon damage will be rated as a severe injury of the muscle group involved unless, for locations such as in the wrist or over the tibia, evidence establishes that the muscle damage is minimal.
Group XXI, the row above, prints one line “Severe or Moderately Severe” at 20. Group XXII prints Severe at 30 and Moderately Severe at 20 as two lines.
The muscle list names trapezius I (clavicular insertion), sternocleidomastoid, the “hyoid” muscles, sternothyroid, and digastric.
38 CFR § 4.55(b) says 5 muscle groups for the torso and neck are diagnostic codes 5319 through 5323. Paragraph (a) says a muscle injury rating will not be combined with a peripheral nerve paralysis rating of the same body part, unless the injuries affect entirely different functions. 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 5321 is Group XXI. Its function cell says “Respiration,” and its muscles are the “Thoracic muscle group.” Its severe and moderately severe findings share one line at 20. DC 5323 is Group XXIII, movements of the head and fixation of shoulder movements, muscles of the side and back of the neck. Its severe line is 30, the same number as Group XXII severe, and it is a different muscle list. Note (1) of § 4.73 points to § 3.350 for loss of use and names diagnostic code 5317. It does not name DC 5322. This page does not state a payment amount.
The 2026-10-01 text of 38 CFR § 3.309 does not name Muscle Group XXII. DC 5322 prints a 0 percent line for Slight. 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.
Source: 38 CFR § 4.73, Diagnostic Code 5322, and 38 CFR § 4.56, eCFR full-text XML for 2026-10-01.
What the words mean in your records
Severe is its own line at 30
Group XXII does not join severe with moderately severe. Group XXI does, at 20. Group XXII moderately severe is 20, and severe is 30.
The period is inside the parenthesis
The cell reads “(Lateral, supra-, and infrahyoid group.)” with the period before the closing parenthesis. “supra-” keeps the hyphen.
Appendix B stops at the head
Appendix B says “Rotary and forward movements, head.” The § 4.73 cell says “Rotary and forward movements of the head; respiration; deglutition.”
Evidence that speaks to each level
30, 20, 10, or 0
What the rater needs to see. The § 4.56 classification for severe, moderately severe, moderate, or slight, applied to the front-of-neck muscles the title cell names.
Where that usually lives. The muscle examination and the service-treatment description of the wound, when the record has one.
VA’s public DBQ list, checked October 5, 2026, names “Muscle Injuries” under Musculoskeletal. The file is Muscle Injuries.
The exam form
DC 5322 prints 30, 20, 10, and 0. Section 4.56 is the classification for those four words. This page does not say the muscle form replaces either text.
Related codes and how they interact
Group XXI shares respiration and uses a different severe line.
Group XXII’s function cell includes respiration and deglutition. Group XXI’s function cell is respiration alone, and its severe-or-moderately-severe line is 20. Group XXIII is the side and back of the neck.
Secondary conditions and presumptions
Section 3.309 does not name Muscle Group XXII. This page does not add DC 5322 to a presumptive row.
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 Muscle Group XXII under DC 5322?
Under 38 CFR § 4.73, Group XXII is 30 percent for severe, 20 percent for moderately severe, 10 percent for moderate, and 0 percent for slight. The muscles named include trapezius I at the clavicular insertion, sternocleidomastoid, the hyoid muscles, sternothyroid, and digastric. Education only. VA decides on the evidence.
What does § 4.56(b) say about a through-and-through injury?
A through-and-through injury with muscle damage shall be evaluated as no less than a moderate injury for each group of muscles damaged. Paragraph (b) uses hyphens in “through-and-through.” Education only.
FAQ
What percentages does DC 5322 print?
Severe is 30. Moderately Severe is 20. Moderate is 10. Slight is 0. Note (2) of § 4.73 assigns those words, for diagnostic codes 5301 through 5323, to § 4.56. Education only.
Is severe combined with moderately severe on this code?
Not on DC 5322. Those are two lines, 30 and 20. DC 5321 prints one line, “Severe or Moderately Severe,” at 20.
Where is this code printed?
The 2026-10-01 muscle-injury schedule is § 4.73. The catalog row cites § 4.71a. Appendix B shortens the function to “Rotary and forward movements, head.”
Next steps
- Read the decision for DC 5322 and whether it used severe, moderately severe, moderate, or slight.
- 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
- DC 5314Group XIV Function: Extension of knee
- DC 5315Group XV Function: Adduction of hip
- DC 5316Group XVI Function: Flexion of hip
- DC 5317Group XVII Function: Extension of hip
- DC 5318Group XVIII Function: Outward rotation of thigh
- DC 5319Group XIX Function: Abdominal wall and lower thorax
- DC 5320Group XX Function: Postural support of body
- DC 5321Group XXI Function: Respiration
- DC 5323Group XXIII Function: Movements of head
- DC 5324Diaphragm, rupture
- DC 5325Muscle injury, facial muscles
- DC 5326Muscle hernia
- DC 5327Muscle, neoplasm of, malignant
- DC 5328Muscle, neoplasm of, benign
- DC 5329Sarcoma, soft tissue
- DC 5330Rhabdomyolysis, residuals of
Also: DC code lookup (tools) lists the same index in a compact layout.
Source: 38 CFR Part 4, Diagnostic Code 5322 • 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.