What rates 90% for Lower Extremity Amputation under 38 CFR § 4.71a DCs 5160-5167; § 3.350(a)(2) SMC-K loss of use of foot?

Under 38 CFR § 4.71a DCs 5160-5167; § 3.350(a)(2) SMC-K loss of use of foot (DC 5160-5173), a 90% rating for Lower Extremity Amputation requires: DC 5160 verbatim — Disarticulation (involving complete removal of the femur and intrinsic pelvic musculature only). Footnote 2: also entitled to SMC.

What rates 80% for Lower Extremity Amputation under 38 CFR § 4.71a DCs 5160-5167; § 3.350(a)(2) SMC-K loss of use of foot?

Under 38 CFR § 4.71a DCs 5160-5167; § 3.350(a)(2) SMC-K loss of use of foot (DC 5160-5173), a 80% rating for Lower Extremity Amputation requires: DC 5161 verbatim — Thigh amputation, Upper third (one-third of the distance from perineum to knee joint measured from perineum). Footnote 2: also entitled to SMC.

What rates 10% for Lower Extremity Amputation under 38 CFR § 4.71a DCs 5160-5167; § 3.350(a)(2) SMC-K loss of use of foot?

Under 38 CFR § 4.71a DCs 5160-5167; § 3.350(a)(2) SMC-K loss of use of foot (DC 5160-5173), a 10% rating for Lower Extremity Amputation requires: DC 5171 + DC 5173 verbatim — TWO pathways yield 10%: (a) DC 5171 Great toe amputation, without metatarsal involvement. (b) DC 5173 Toes, three or four amputation, not including great toe.

What rates 0% for Lower Extremity Amputation under 38 CFR § 4.71a DCs 5160-5167; § 3.350(a)(2) SMC-K loss of use of foot?

Under 38 CFR § 4.71a DCs 5160-5167; § 3.350(a)(2) SMC-K loss of use of foot (DC 5160-5173), a 0% rating for Lower Extremity Amputation requires: DC 5172 verbatim — Toes other than great, amputation, one or two, without metatarsal involvement: 0 percent (non-compensable).

What secondary conditions are linked to Lower Extremity Amputation?

Common secondary conditions for Lower Extremity Amputation include Lumbar Spine Condition, Hip Condition - Contralateral, Knee Condition - Contralateral, Phantom Limb Pain, Residual Limb Pain. Secondary service connection is established under 38 C.F.R. 3.310 when a condition is caused or aggravated by an already service-connected disability.

What happens during a C&P exam for Lower Extremity Amputation?

Do NOT stretch, warm up, or take pain medication before your exam. The VA needs your baseline limitation. Report your WORST day. DeLuca v. Brown requires documentation of functional loss during flare-ups.

← All Condition Guides

CLAIM RECON INTEL

Lower Extremity Amputation

Q: What are the VA rating percentages for Lower Extremity Amputation?

Lower Extremity Amputation (DC 5160-5173) is rated at 100%, 90%, 80%, 60%, 40%, 30%, 20%, 10%, 0% under 38 CFR § 4.71a DCs 5160-5167; § 3.350(a)(2) SMC-K loss of use of foot. DC 5160 verbatim — Trans-pelvic amputation (involving complete removal of the femur and intrinsic pelvic musculature along with any portion of the pelvic bones). Footnote 2: also entitled to SMC under 38 CFR § 3.350.

DC 5160-517338 C.F.R. § 4.71a DCs 5160-5167; § 3.350(a)(2) SMC-K loss of use of foot

Diagnostic Code

DC 5160-5173

38 C.F.R. § 4.71a DCs 5160-5167; § 3.350(a)(2) SMC-K loss of use of foot

Rating Range

0–100%

9 severity tiers

Source

Verified

38 C.F.R. § 4.71a

Lower Extremity Amputation is rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs under DC 5160-5173 of 38 CFR § 4.71a DCs 5160-5167; § 3.350(a)(2) SMC-K loss of use of foot across 9 severity tiers (100% / 90% / 80% / 60% / 40%…). Service connection requires (1) a current diagnosis, (2) an in-service event, injury, or exposure, and (3) a medical nexus opinion linking the two under 38 C.F.R. § 3.303. This condition is frequently rated as secondary to Lumbar Spine Condition or Hip Condition - Contralateral under 38 C.F.R. § 3.310.

Educational tool only. Not legal or medical advice. Not affiliated with the VA.

Overview

Surgical or traumatic loss of part or all of a lower extremity (toe, foot, leg, hip). Anatomic-level specific canonicals — leg-amputation-above-knee (DC 5161), leg-amputation-below-knee (DC 5164), great-toe-amputation (DC 5171), forefoot-amputation (DC 5166), toe-amputation-multiple — carry the full rating tiers. This record covers cross-cutting concerns (phantom limb pain, prosthesis-fitting issues, contralateral overuse arthropathy, opioid dependence from chronic pain) that apply regardless of amputation level.

Rating Criteria

100%

DC 5160 verbatim — Trans-pelvic amputation (involving complete removal of the femur and intrinsic pelvic musculature along with any portion of the pelvic bones). Footnote 2: also entitled to SMC under 38 CFR § 3.350.

90%

DC 5160 verbatim — Disarticulation (involving complete removal of the femur and intrinsic pelvic musculature only). Footnote 2: also entitled to SMC.

80%

DC 5161 verbatim — Thigh amputation, Upper third (one-third of the distance from perineum to knee joint measured from perineum). Footnote 2: also entitled to SMC.

60%

DC 5162-5164 verbatim — THREE pathways yield 60%: (a) DC 5162 Thigh amputation, Middle or lower thirds. (b) DC 5163 Leg amputation with defective stump, thigh amputation recommended. (c) DC 5164 Leg amputation not improvable by prosthesis controlled by natural knee action. Footnote 2 (SMC) applies to all three.

40%

DC 5165-5167 verbatim — THREE pathways yield 40%: (a) DC 5165 Leg amputation at a lower level, permitting prosthesis (the standard "below-knee amputation" — see § 4.71a amputation rule: below-knee combined eval cannot exceed this 40%). (b) DC 5166 Forefoot amputation proximal to metatarsal bones (more than one-half of metatarsal loss). (c) DC 5167 Foot, loss of use of. Footnote 2 (SMC) applies to all three.

30%

DC 5170-5171 verbatim — TWO toe-amputation pathways yield 30%: (a) DC 5170 Toes, all, amputation of, without metatarsal loss, OR transmetatarsal amputation of toes with up to half of metatarsal loss. (b) DC 5171 Great toe amputation, with removal of metatarsal head. (Footnote 2 SMC does NOT apply at the toe-amputation tiers.)

20%

DC 5172-5173 verbatim — TWO pathways yield 20%: (a) DC 5172 Toes, other than great, amputation of with removal of metatarsal head — one or two toes. (b) DC 5173 Toes, three or four, amputation of, without metatarsal involvement, including the great toe.

10%

DC 5171 + DC 5173 verbatim — TWO pathways yield 10%: (a) DC 5171 Great toe amputation, without metatarsal involvement. (b) DC 5173 Toes, three or four amputation, not including great toe.

DC 5172 verbatim — Toes other than great, amputation, one or two, without metatarsal involvement: 0 percent (non-compensable).

03Key Evidence

—Service treatment records showing injury or complaints

—Imaging (X-ray, MRI, CT)

—Range of motion measurements

—Flare-up documentation per Sharp v. Shulkin

—Buddy statements describing limitations

—Prescription history

—Physical therapy records

—Employment impact documentation

04C&P Exam Tips

1Do NOT stretch, warm up, or take pain medication before your exam. The VA needs your baseline limitation.

2Report your WORST day. DeLuca v. Brown requires documentation of functional loss during flare-ups.

3Tell the examiner about flare-ups: frequency, duration, estimated ROM loss. Sharp v. Shulkin (2017) requires estimates.

4Request active, passive, weight-bearing, and non-weight-bearing ROM testing per Correia v. McDonald (2016).

5If you use assistive devices (brace, cane), bring them.

6Describe daily activity impact: work, sleep, household tasks.

05Secondary Conditions

Lumbar Spine ConditionMODERATE

Altered gait with prosthesis stresses spine

Hip Condition - ContralateralMODERATE

Increased stress on remaining limb

Knee Condition - ContralateralMODERATE

Overuse of remaining leg

Phantom Limb PainMODERATE

Neurological pain in missing limb

Residual Limb PainMODERATE

Stump pain from prosthesis use

Major Depressive DisorderMODERATE

Adjustment to limb loss and disability

PTSDMODERATE

Trauma from injury event

Skin BreakdownMODERATE

Prosthetic socket causes skin issues

Shoulder ConditionMODERATE

Crutch or assistive device use

Tools

Rating Calculator →Secondaries Explorer →C&P Exam Prep →PACT Act Scanner →2026 Rates →

Sources & Editorial

Rating criteria text quoted verbatim from 38 C.F.R. § 4.71a (Musculoskeletal system). Source verified 2026-05-17 by ClaimRecon Editorial Team against the Cornell Law CFR mirror; eCFR.gov is the authoritative government source.

View § 4.71a on eCFR →Cornell Law mirror →Editorial Standards →Suggest a correction →

EDUCATIONAL TOOL ONLY. NOT LEGAL OR MEDICAL ADVICE.
NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
CLAIM RECON 2026

LOADING