38 CFR Part 4 — 38 CFR § 4.124a

The obturator nerve, paralysis of — VA Diagnostic Code 8528

Peripheral nerves

Diagnostic code

8528

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38 CFR § 4.124a lists “Obturator nerve” in the single-column table that begins at the sciatic nerve, under Diseases of the Peripheral Nerves. Diagnostic Code 8528 is “Paralysis of:”. Severe to complete is 10. Mild or moderate is 0. DC 8628 prints “Neuritis.” and DC 8728 prints “Neuralgia.” with no percentage in the rating cell. Appendix B to Part 4 indexes “Obturator nerve, paralysis.”

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 § 4.124a source note prints 29 FR 6718, May 22, 1964, as amended at 40 FR 42540, Sept. 15, 1975; 41 FR 11302, Mar. 18, 1976; 43 FR 45362, Oct. 2, 1978; 54 FR 4282, Jan. 30, 1989; 54 FR 49755, Dec. 1, 1989; 55 FR 154, Jan. 3, 1990; 56 FR 51653, Oct. 15, 1991; 57 FR 24364, June 9, 1992; 70 FR 75399, Dec. 20, 2005; 73 FR 54705, Sept. 23, 2008; 73 FR 69554, Nov. 19, 2008; 76 FR 78824, Dec. 20, 2011; 79 FR 2100, Jan. 13, 2014.

The rating criteria at each level

8528 Paralysis of the obturator nerve

Rating %: 10

Criteria (verbatim). Severe to complete

Rating %: 0

Criteria (verbatim). Mild or moderate

Rating %	Criteria (verbatim)
10	Severe to complete
0	Mild or moderate

8628 and 8728

Rating %: —

Criteria (verbatim). 8628 Neuritis.

Rating %: —

Criteria (verbatim). 8728 Neuralgia.

Rating %	Criteria (verbatim)
—	8628 Neuritis.
—	8728 Neuralgia.

The term “incomplete paralysis,” with this and other peripheral nerve injuries, indicates a degree of lost or impaired function substantially less than the type picture for complete paralysis given with each nerve, whether due to varied level of the nerve lesion or to partial regeneration. When the involvement is wholly sensory, the rating should be for the mild, or at most, the moderate degree. The ratings for the peripheral nerves are for unilateral involvement; when bilateral, combine with application of the bilateral factor.

That paragraph is printed in the earlier peripheral-nerve table, the one with Major and Minor columns, before the upper radicular group. The obturator rows are in the later table. That later table has one Rating column. It does not print Major and Minor on this nerve.

The 0 percent line says “Mild or moderate.” The previous nerve, the internal saphenous nerve, says “Mild to moderate.”

38 CFR § 4.123 says neuritis, cranial or peripheral, characterized by loss of reflexes, muscle atrophy, sensory disturbances, and constant pain, at times excruciating, is to be rated on the scale provided for injury of the nerve involved, with a maximum equal to severe, incomplete, paralysis. The commas are in that phrase. The maximum rating which may be assigned for neuritis not characterized by organic changes referred to in this section will be that for moderate, or with sciatic nerve involvement, for moderately severe, incomplete paralysis. DC 8528 is not the sciatic nerve. DC 8520 is the sciatic nerve. Its public page is the radiculopathy guide. The obturator scale does not print a line that says only “Severe” or only “Incomplete.” Its highest line is “Severe to complete,” at 10. DC 8628 is the neuritis row for this nerve.

38 CFR § 4.124 says neuralgia, cranial or peripheral, is to be rated on the same scale, with a maximum equal to moderate incomplete paralysis. On DC 8528, mild or moderate is 0. The complete-paralysis exception in § 4.124 is tic douloureux, or trifacial neuralgia. It is not the obturator nerve. 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 peripheral-nerve sentence says wholly sensory involvement should be mild, or at most moderate, and that bilateral involvement is combined with the bilateral factor. 38 CFR § 4.26 is that factor. The 0 percent line is printed on this code.

DC 8527 is the internal saphenous nerve. Severe to complete is 10. Mild to moderate is 0. The word is “to,” not “or.” DC 8529 is the external cutaneous nerve of the thigh. Its mild line, like DC 8528, says “Mild or moderate,” at 0, and severe to complete is 10.

Source: 38 CFR § 4.124a, Diagnostic Code 8528, eCFR full-text XML for 2026-10-01.

What the words mean in your records

One rating column

Severe to complete is 10. Mild or moderate is 0. The table that holds the obturator nerve does not split those numbers into Major and Minor.

Or, not to

DC 8528 prints “Mild or moderate.” DC 8527 prints “Mild to moderate.” Both of those lines are 0. The words are not the same.

No separate complete picture

The incomplete-paralysis paragraph refers to the type picture for complete paralysis given with each nerve. This code’s highest line is “Severe to complete.” It does not print a longer complete-paralysis sentence.

Evidence that speaks to each level

10 or 0

What the rater needs to see. Severe to complete paralysis for 10, or mild or moderate paralysis for 0. Wholly sensory involvement is rated mild, or at most moderate, under the peripheral-nerve paragraph.

Where that usually lives. The peripheral-nerve examination.

Neuritis or neuralgia

What the rater needs to see. DC 8628 or DC 8728. Section 4.123’s maximum is severe, incomplete, paralysis when the organic changes it names are present, and otherwise moderate. Section 4.124’s maximum is moderate incomplete paralysis. This code’s moderate line is the 0 percent line.

Where that usually lives. The same examination. The rating cells for 8628 and 8728 are empty.

Level	What the rater needs to see	Where that usually lives
10 or 0	Severe to complete paralysis for 10, or mild or moderate paralysis for 0. Wholly sensory involvement is rated mild, or at most moderate, under the peripheral-nerve paragraph.	The peripheral-nerve examination.
Neuritis or neuralgia	DC 8628 or DC 8728. Section 4.123’s maximum is severe, incomplete, paralysis when the organic changes it names are present, and otherwise moderate. Section 4.124’s maximum is moderate incomplete paralysis. This code’s moderate line is the 0 percent line.	The same examination. The rating cells for 8628 and 8728 are empty.

VA’s public DBQ list, checked October 5, 2026, names “Peripheral Nerves” under Neurological. The file is Peripheral Nerves.

The exam form

DC 8528 prints 10 and 0. DC 8628 and DC 8728 print the words neuritis and neuralgia and no percentage. This page does not say the form replaces those rows.

Related codes and how they interact

The neighboring thigh nerves use the same numbers.

DC 8527 and DC 8529 also print 10 and 0. DC 8527 says “Mild to moderate.” DC 8528 and DC 8529 say “Mild or moderate.”

Secondary conditions and presumptions

The 2026-10-01 text of 38 CFR § 3.309 does not contain “obturator.” It lists “Other organic diseases of the nervous system” without a diagnostic code. That family row stays without a code.

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 obturator nerve paralysis?

Under 38 CFR § 4.124a, Diagnostic Code 8528 is 10 percent for severe to complete paralysis and 0 percent for mild or moderate paralysis. Education only. VA decides on the evidence.

How are neuritis and neuralgia of this nerve rated?

DC 8628 and DC 8728 print “Neuritis.” and “Neuralgia.” with no percentage. Section 4.123 caps neuritis at severe, incomplete, paralysis when the organic changes it names are present, and otherwise at moderate. Section 4.124 caps neuralgia at moderate incomplete paralysis. On this nerve, mild or moderate is 0, and the highest printed line is severe to complete at 10.

FAQ

What percentages does DC 8528 print?

Severe to complete is 10. Mild or moderate is 0. Neuritis is DC 8628 and neuralgia is DC 8728. Those two rows do not print a percentage. Education only.

Why does the mild line say “or”?

The cell prints “Mild or moderate.” The internal saphenous nerve, DC 8527, prints “Mild to moderate.” This page does not change either word.

Does this nerve use major and minor columns?

No. The obturator rows are in the later peripheral-nerve table, which has one Rating column. The Major and Minor columns are in the earlier table.

Next steps

Read the decision for DC 8528, 8628, or 8728, and whether the findings were severe to complete or mild or moderate.
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 nerve codes are on the peripheral-nerve diagnostic-code index.

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 Peripheral nerves, ordered by diagnostic code number. All Peripheral nerves codes

Also: DC code lookup (tools) lists the same index in a compact layout.

Source: 38 CFR Part 4, Diagnostic Code 8528 • 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.