Education · 38 CFR § 4.71a · Bones, joints, and spine (musculoskeletal system) · not your rating · we do not file
Osteomyelitis, acute, subacute, or chronic VA rating (DC 5000)
VA rates osteomyelitis, acute, subacute, or chronic under diagnostic code 5000 in 38 CFR § 4.71a. The rule book lists 10%, 20%, 30%, 60%, and 100%. Below: each level in plain English, then the exact words.
Rule-book name: Osteomyelitis, acute, subacute, or chronic. Last checked against eCFR on 2026-10-10 (eCFR issue 2026-08-27). Official text: 38 CFR § 4.71a on eCFR.
Each rating level in plain English
- 100%: Read the exact words below. We have not mapped this line to plain words, so we quote it rather than guess.
- 60%: The published words look at: how often it happens.
- 30%: Read the exact words below. We have not mapped this line to plain words, so we quote it rather than guess.
- 20%: Read the exact words below. We have not mapped this line to plain words, so we quote it rather than guess.
- 10%: Read the exact words below. We have not mapped this line to plain words, so we quote it rather than guess.
Plain words come from our reading aid for the published words. They never add a symptom. The quotes below are the rule.
Exact words in 38 CFR § 4.71a
100% · “Of the pelvis, vertebrae, or extending into major joints, or with multiple localization or with long history of intractability and debility, anemia, amyloid liver changes, or other continuous constitutional symptoms”
60% · “Frequent episodes, with constitutional symptoms”
30% · “With definite involucrum or sequestrum, with or without discharging sinus”
20% · “With discharging sinus or other evidence of active infection within the past 5 years”
10% · “Inactive, following repeated episodes, without evidence of active infection in past 5 years”
Notes printed with this code
“Note (1): A rating of 10 percent, as an exception to the amputation rule, is to be assigned in any case of active osteomyelitis where the amputation rating for the affected part is no percent. This 10 percent rating and the other partial ratings of 30 percent or less are to be combined with ratings for ankylosis, limited motion, nonunion or malunion, shortening, etc., subject, of course, to the amputation rule. The 60 percent rating, as it is based on constitutional symptoms, is not subject to the amputation rule. A rating for osteomyelitis will not be applied following cure by removal or radical resection of the affected bone.”
“Note (2): The 20 percent rating on the basis of activity within the past 5 years is not assignable following the initial infection of active osteomyelitis with no subsequent reactivation. The prerequisite for this historical rating is an established recurrent osteomyelitis. To qualify for the 10 percent rating, 2 or more episodes following the initial infection are required. This 20 percent rating or the 10 percent rating, when applicable, will be assigned once only to cover disability at all sites of previously active infection with a future ending date in the case of the 20 percent rating.”
What records usually show this
VA reads these things from your records: service treatment records, VA and private treatment records, and the VA claim exam (C&P exam). The published words on this page talk about:
- How often it happens: usually found in treatment notes or the VA claim exam (C&P exam) report that describe it, when those exist.
Education only. This does not say you have any of these, and a record that mentions them does not decide a rating. Only write what is true for you. Evidence needed for your disability claim · VA claim exam (C&P exam)
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Common questions
What percentages does the VA rating schedule list for Osteomyelitis, acute, subacute, or chronic (DC 5000)?
38 CFR § 4.71a lists 10%, 20%, 30%, 60%, and 100% for diagnostic code 5000. VA decides which line fits from the evidence. This page is not your rating.
Where do these words come from?
They are quoted from the public eCFR copy of 38 CFR § 4.71a, last checked 2026-10-10. The official page is linked on this page so you can check every word.
Does this page tell me what my rating will be?
No. It shows what the published rule book says. It does not predict a rating, a decision, or a dollar amount, and it does not say you have this condition.
Who can file a VA claim for me for free?
Accredited Veterans Service Officers (VSOs) can prepare and file a claim with you at no cost. VA lists accredited representatives on VA.gov. We do not file.
This page quotes the public VA rule book. It is not your rating and not your pay. We do not say you have this condition. We do not file. You, or a free accredited representative, file with VA.
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