38 CFR Part 4 — 38 CFR § 4.71a

Compartment syndrome — VA Diagnostic Code 5331

Musculoskeletal

Diagnostic code

5331

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38 CFR § 4.73 lists Diagnostic Code 5331 as “Compartment syndrome:” in the Schedule of ratings—muscle injuries. The rating column is blank. The criteria cell says to rate each affected muscle group separately and combine in accordance with § 4.25. Appendix B to Part 4 uses “Compartment syndrome.” The catalog row names § 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 letters in that note are “amemded.”

The rating criteria at each level

5331 Compartment syndrome — the row this code prints

Rating %: —

Criteria (verbatim). Rate each affected muscle group separately and combine in accordance with § 4.25

Rating %	Criteria (verbatim)
—	Rate each affected muscle group separately and combine in accordance with § 4.25

The criteria cell has no period at the end. It does not print 100, 60, 30, 10, or 0.

DC 5330, residuals of rhabdomyolysis, uses the same rate-each-muscle-group sentence and then a note about chronic renal complications. That renal note is not printed on DC 5331.

Note (2) at the start of § 4.73 says 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. DC 5331 is not in 5301 through 5323. Its own sentence is the muscle-group instruction above. 38 CFR § 4.25 is the combined ratings table the sentence names. 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.

Note (1) of § 4.73 says that when evaluating any claim involving muscle injuries resulting in loss of use of any extremity or loss of use of both buttocks (diagnostic code 5317, Muscle Group XVII), refer to § 3.350 of this chapter to determine whether the veteran may be entitled to special monthly compensation. That is a section note. It is not a percentage on DC 5331. It does not state a payment amount.

DC 5330 is residuals of rhabdomyolysis. It repeats the rate-each-muscle-group sentence. Its note says to separately evaluate any chronic renal complications within the appropriate body system. That note is not printed on DC 5331. 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 5331 does not print a percentage of its own.

Source: 38 CFR § 4.73, Diagnostic Code 5331, eCFR full-text XML for 2026-10-01.

What the words mean in your records

Each affected muscle group

The criteria cell says “each.” It then says to combine those evaluations in accordance with § 4.25. This page does not copy the 5301 through 5323 muscle-group tables onto DC 5331.

The renal note stays on DC 5330

DC 5330 and DC 5331 share the combining sentence. Only DC 5330 prints the sentence about chronic renal complications.

The section citation on the catalog row

The catalog row says 38 CFR § 4.71a. The 2026-10-01 full-text XML prints DC 5331 in § 4.73. A search of the § 4.71a XML for that date does not find 5331.

Evidence that speaks to each level

The muscle-group instruction

What the rater needs to see. Which muscle groups the record treats as affected, and the findings those group codes use.

Where that usually lives. The muscle examination and the treatment records that identify the groups.

Level	What the rater needs to see	Where that usually lives
The muscle-group instruction	Which muscle groups the record treats as affected, and the findings those group codes use.	The muscle examination and the treatment records that identify the groups.

VA’s public DBQ list, checked October 5, 2026, names “Muscle Injuries” under Musculoskeletal. The file is Muscle Injuries.

The exam form

DC 5331 prints an instruction and no percentage. This page does not say the form replaces that instruction.

Related codes and how they interact

Rhabdomyolysis residuals are the previous code.

DC 5330 uses the same combining sentence and adds the renal note. DC 5331 is compartment syndrome. The renal note is not reprinted there.

Secondary conditions and presumptions

The 2026-10-01 text of 38 CFR § 3.309 does not contain “compartment.” It does not assign DC 5331.

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 compartment syndrome?

Diagnostic Code 5331 in 38 CFR § 4.73 says to rate each affected muscle group separately and combine in accordance with § 4.25. It does not print its own percentage. Education only. VA decides on the evidence.

Where do slight, moderate, moderately severe, and severe come from?

Note (2) of § 4.73 assigns those words to diagnostic codes 5301 through 5323 and to the criteria in § 4.56. DC 5331 is outside that span.

FAQ

What percentage does DC 5331 print?

The rating column is blank. The criteria cell says: “Rate each affected muscle group separately and combine in accordance with § 4.25.” That cell does not end with a period. Education only.

Is DC 5331 in the muscle schedule or in § 4.71a?

The 2026-10-01 text of § 4.73, Schedule of ratings—muscle injuries, lists Diagnostic Code 5331. The § 4.71a XML for that date does not contain 5331. The catalog row still names § 4.71a.

Does the rhabdomyolysis renal note apply to this title?

The note is printed under DC 5330. DC 5331 does not print it. The two codes share the rate-each-muscle-group sentence.

Next steps

Read the decision for DC 5331 and for each muscle-group code it 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 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 5331 • 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.