Musculoskeletal
Hip & Thigh Conditions
Limitation of motion, flail joint, and impairment of the femur under §4.71a
Hip disabilities are rated on limitation of motion and joint impairment under Codes 5250–5255. They are commonly secondary to a bad knee, ankle, or foot — altered gait wears out the hip — and bilateral hips trigger the §4.26 bonus factor.
Each Condition, Broken Out
Every Condition In This Category Has Its Own Page
These are separate diagnostic codes with separate criteria, separate exams and separate money. Each one below opens a full page: how it is rated, the schedule spelled out, the service-connection arguments, and exactly what happens at that specific C&P exam.
DC 5252
Hip Limitation of Flexion
Your hip flexion rating under DC 5252 depends on how many degrees you can bend your hip toward your chest. Normal hip flexion is 125 degrees. If your flexion is limited to 45 degrees, that is 10%. Limited to 30 degrees earns 20%. Limited to 20 degrees earns 30%. And if you can only flex to 10 degrees, that is the maximum 40%. The VA measures both active and passive range of motion, and must consider the additional limitation during flare-ups and after repetitive use.
Read the full Hip Limitation of Flexion (DC 5252) page
DC 5253
Hip Impairment — Rotation, Adduction & Abduction
Your hip impairment rating under DC 5253 depends on three distinct planes of motion: rotation, adduction (crossing the legs), and abduction (spreading the thigh outward). The VA rates each limitation separately — 10% if you cannot toe-out more than 15 degrees (rotation); 10% if you cannot cross your legs (adduction); and 20% if you lose abduction beyond 10 degrees. Because these are separate planes, you can receive a rating for each affected motion. If both hips are limited, each hip is rated individually and the bilateral factor applies.
Read the full Hip Impairment (DC 5253) page
What Hip & Thigh Conditions Really Is
The hip carries everything. When it goes, walking distance shrinks, stairs become a decision, and putting on your own socks turns into a project. Hip arthritis, labral tears, avascular necrosis, replacements. The VA rates the hip on lost motion in specific planes, and on whether you have had a replacement.
What it actually means
The hip carries everything. When it goes, walking distance shrinks, stairs become a decision, and putting on your own socks turns into a project. Hip arthritis, labral tears, avascular necrosis, replacements. The VA rates the hip on lost motion in specific planes, and on whether you have had a replacement.
What the VA measures
The hip and thigh codes in 38 CFR 4.71a rate limitation of flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, and rotation, along with ankylosis and flail joint. A total hip replacement under code 5054 carries a 100 percent rating for one year following implantation, then a minimum of 30 percent with higher levels for painful motion or weakness requiring the use of crutches.
Why claims get missed
Hip motion is measured in several separate planes and each has its own compensable threshold, so an exam that only records flexion is incomplete. After a replacement, veterans frequently drop straight to the 30 percent minimum without anyone evaluating whether the moderately severe or markedly severe residual criteria are met. The altered gait a bad hip produces is also a reliable route to a separate knee, ankle, or back claim.
What in Your Service Causes Hip & Thigh Conditions
Service connection is not a feeling, it is a chain of evidence. These are the pathways the VA already recognises. Find yours, then make sure your file says it out loud.
Load-bearing and impact service
Airborne operations, forced marches under load, and repeated hard landings produce early hip degeneration and labral damage.
Documented in-service injury
Fracture, dislocation, or a fall recorded in your service treatment record supports direct service connection for post-traumatic arthritis.
Avascular necrosis
Associated with trauma, steroid therapy for another service-connected condition, and certain exposures. It progresses to replacement.
Altered mechanics from another joint
A service-connected knee, ankle, or spine condition shifts load onto the hip and wears it out.
How the Hip Is Rated
Hip and thigh disabilities are rated under Codes 5250–5255 on limitation of motion — flexion (Code 5252), extension (5251), and abduction, adduction, and rotation (5253) — as well as ankylosis (5250), flail joint (5254), and impairment of the femur (5255). Hip replacements carry a temporary total rating followed by a minimum evaluation. Painful motion and flare-ups under §4.40 and §4.45 must be considered.
The Secondary Hip Claim
One of the most common ways a hip becomes ratable is secondary: a service-connected knee, ankle, foot, or back changes the way you walk, and years of altered gait break down the hip. Under §3.310, that hip is service-connected too. Veterans rarely think to claim it, and the VA will not connect the dots for you.
What to Document
Measured hip flexion, extension, and rotation with pain onset
Ankylosis, flail joint, or femur impairment
Hip replacement and post-surgical residuals
Altered gait from a service-connected lower-limb or back condition
Establishing Service Connection
To establish service connection for a musculoskeletal condition, veterans must meet three criteria. First, there must be a current diagnosis. Second, there must be evidence of an in-service injury, repetitive strain, or the physical demands of your duties that could have caused or aggravated it. Third, a nexus — a medical link — must connect the in-service event to the current condition.
Current diagnosis of the joint or spine condition
In-service injury, repetitive strain, or documented physical demands
Medical nexus linking the condition to service ("at least as likely as not")
Imaging (X-ray or MRI) showing arthritis, disc disease, or joint damage
Lay statements describing onset and continuity of pain since service
Why Work With an Accredited Advocate
Veterans should seek the assistance of an Accredited VA Disability Advocate because we guide you through the complex claims process and ensure all necessary evidence is gathered and presented effectively. Our advocates are trained to identify and link service-related conditions, increasing the likelihood of a successful claim. We also provide personalized representation, helping veterans navigate appeals and secure the benefits they deserve. As a VA-Accredited Claims Agent, our fees are regulated under 38 CFR §14.636 — and there are no fees unless we win your appeal.
The Rating Schedule, Spelled Out
Hip and thigh conditions are rated under 38 CFR §4.71a, Diagnostic Codes 5250–5255, based on ankylosis, limitation of motion (flexion, extension, abduction), flail joint, and impairment of the femur.
Favorable ankylosis, in flexion at an angle between 20 and 40 degrees, with slight adduction or abduction.
Intermediate ankylosis — between favorable and extremely unfavorable.
Extremely unfavorable ankylosis — the foot does not reach the ground and crutches are necessitated. Also entitled to Special Monthly Compensation.
Extension of the thigh limited to 5 degrees.
Flexion limited to 45 degrees.
Flexion limited to 30 degrees.
Flexion limited to 20 degrees.
Flexion limited to 10 degrees.
Limitation of adduction — cannot cross the legs; or limitation of rotation — cannot toe-out more than 15 degrees on the affected leg.
Limitation of abduction, with motion lost beyond 10 degrees.
Flail joint of the hip.
Fracture of the surgical neck of the femur, with false joint; or fracture of the shaft or anatomical neck with nonunion, without loose motion, weight bearing preserved with the aid of a brace.
Fracture of the shaft or anatomical neck of the femur with nonunion and loose motion (spiral or oblique fracture).
Malunion of the femur is evaluated under Diagnostic Codes 5256, 5257, 5260 or 5261 for the knee, or 5250 through 5254 for the hip, whichever results in the highest evaluation.
Key Points to Remember
Rated under 38 CFR §4.71a on limitation of flexion, extension, and abduction (DC 5250–5255)
Ankylosis and flail joint warrant the highest evaluations
Painful motion and flare-ups must be considered (§4.40 and §4.45)
Document impact on walking, standing, and weight-bearing
What to Expect at Your Hip and Thigh C&P Examination
The hip is rated on flexion, extension, abduction, adduction and rotation, and each of those has its own criterion in 38 CFR §4.71a. Normal hip flexion is 0 to 125 degrees and normal abduction is 0 to 45 degrees. Flexion limited to 45 degrees pays 10%, 30 degrees pays 20%, 20 degrees pays 30% and 10 degrees pays 40%. Extension limited to 5 degrees pays 10% on its own, and abduction lost beyond 10 degrees pays 20% — which means a single hip can legitimately carry more than one evaluation.
Goniometer measurement of hip flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, and internal and external rotation, both hips.
Specific documentation of whether you can cross your legs and whether you can toe-out more than 15 degrees — both are written criteria under Diagnostic Code 5253.
Repetitive-use testing, the point pain begins in each plane, and a flare-up estimate in degrees.
Measurement of leg length on both sides, because shortening of the lower extremity is separately rated under Diagnostic Code 5275.
Thigh circumference on both sides for quadriceps and gluteal atrophy, and strength grading 0 to 5.
Imaging review for avascular necrosis, femoral neck or shaft fracture, nonunion or malunion, and degenerative arthritis, plus documentation of any hip replacement and its residuals.
Gait observation, Trendelenburg testing, and use of a cane, walker or crutches.
What Happens Once the C&P Exam Is Complete
The examiner compiles a detailed report — your medical history, physical findings, and diagnostic results — and assesses the severity, symptoms, and impact of your condition. That report is sent to the VA Regional Office handling your claim and becomes part of your official file, reviewed alongside your other evidence.
The VA may send the report back for corrections, clarification, or a second opinion if it finds it incomplete or unclear. This can delay your claim, because the VA requires thorough and accurate information to decide. Your claim only moves to the decision phase once the VA is satisfied with the evidence — which is exactly why the quality of the file we build for you matters so much. Once decided, your effective date controls how far back your back pay reaches, and any denial can be challenged through a Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, or Board appeal.
The Advocate’s Take
A bad knee or ankle you have favored for years is often what destroyed your hip. That makes the hip a secondary claim — and one the VA almost never raises on its own.
Every Level the VA Can Assign You
These percentages come straight out of the rating schedule that governs hip & thigh conditions — Diagnostic Code 5250. Read them slowly. If your current rating does not match what your records actually show, that gap is exactly what an appeal exists to correct.
60%
Favorable ankylosis, in flexion at an angle between 20 and 40 degrees, with slight adduction or abduction.
70%
Intermediate ankylosis — between favorable and extremely unfavorable.
90%
Extremely unfavorable ankylosis — the foot does not reach the ground and crutches are necessitated.
Secondary Claims — Both Directions
Under 38 CFR §3.310, a condition caused or made worse by an already service-connected condition is itself service connected. That runs in both directions, and it is the single largest pool of unclaimed compensation in the system.
What can cause hip & thigh conditions
If one of these is already service connected, this condition can be claimed as secondary to it.
Knee or ankle condition
Gait compensation transfers force to the hip on the same or opposite side.
Lumbar spine condition
Spinal mechanics and hip mechanics are inseparable, and each accelerates the other.
Steroid therapy for a service-connected condition
A recognized cause of avascular necrosis of the femoral head.
What hip & thigh conditions can cause
If this condition is already service connected, each of these is a separate claim you may be owed.
Opposite hip and knee arthritis
Limping loads the good side, which then fails too.
Lumbar spine strain and arthritis
Hip stiffness forces the low back to make up the motion.
Falls and fractures
Weakness and instability produce documented falls.
Depression and weight gain
Loss of mobility drives both, and both are claimable.
A secondary claim still needs two things: a current diagnosis of the secondary condition, and a medical opinion saying it is at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by the service-connected condition. You do not have to prove it happened in service.
Building a Hip & Thigh Conditions Claim That Wins
Every claim stands on three legs. Knock one out and the claim falls over, no matter how bad your symptoms are. Before you file, look at your file and find all three.
A current diagnosis
A doctor has to say you have it, now, in writing. Not "reports symptoms of" — a diagnosis. Without this leg, nothing else in the file matters.
A link to your service
An event, an injury, an exposure, or an already service-connected condition. Service records, unit records, buddy statements, and your own account all count as evidence.
A nexus that ties the two together
A medical opinion stating it is at least as likely as not that your service caused or aggravated the condition. That phrase is a legal standard: 50 percent or better. It is the leg most denials break.
Document the problem before you file
• Keep a dated symptom log for at least 30 days. Frequency, severity, and what it stopped you from doing.
• Get statements from people who see it — a spouse, a coworker, a battle buddy. Lay evidence is legal evidence.
• Pull your private treatment records. The VA only has to help; it does not have to go find everything.
• Write down what you have stopped doing. Lost work, lost sleep, lost activities. That is what impairment looks like on paper.
Your Rights in This Process
It costs nothing to file
Filing a VA claim is free. Accredited representatives may only charge for work on an appeal after an initial decision, and those fees are capped by 38 CFR §14.636.
The VA has a Duty to Assist you
Under 38 CFR §3.159 the VA must help you get the evidence it needs, and it must tell you what is missing before it denies you for missing it.
You can ask for a different examiner
You may request a trauma-informed clinician, or a clinician of a specific gender, for a C&P examination. Ask before the exam is scheduled.
You can claim every condition you have
There is no limit and no penalty. Primary conditions, secondary conditions, and conditions made worse by service all get filed.
You can appeal and be re-evaluated
A denial is not the end. You may submit new evidence, request a higher-level review, appeal to the Board, and ask for re-evaluation when your condition worsens.
You must be considered for TDIU
If your service-connected conditions keep you from holding substantially gainful employment, you may be paid at the 100 percent rate without a 100 percent rating.
Questions Veterans Ask About Hip & Thigh Conditions Claims
My hip exam only measured flexion. Is that enough?
No. The hip codes rate limitation of extension, abduction, adduction, and rotation separately, and each has its own criteria. An exam missing those planes is inadequate and worth challenging.
What rating should I have after a hip replacement?
One hundred percent for one year following implantation of the prosthesis, then a minimum of 30 percent, with higher evaluations where there are moderately severe or markedly severe residuals of weakness, pain, or limitation of motion.
Can a bad hip support a claim for my other joints?
Yes, and it is one of the strongest secondary arguments there is. Document the limp and ask your provider to state that the altered gait at least as likely as not caused or aggravated the opposite hip, knee, or low back condition.
When You Are Ready to File
Talk to an accredited representative before you file. It costs nothing to ask, and the order you file in changes what the VA is allowed to award you. Albert L. Thombs Jr. is VA-Accredited Claims Agent #45147.
The application itself
This is the form that opens a disability compensation claim. List every condition you are claiming, and name the secondary conditions explicitly.
Release for private records
Authorises the VA to request records from your private doctors. Without it, treatment outside the VA may never reach your file.
Lay or buddy statement
The official form for your own statement and for statements from people who witnessed the event or the change in you.
Resources Worth Keeping
These are real, staffed VA lines. Tap to call from your phone.
Veterans Crisis Line
988
Then press 1. Text 838255. Available 24 hours a day, every day. You do not need to be enrolled in VA health care.
VA Benefits & Facility Line
1-800-827-1000
Claim status, general benefits questions, and help finding the right VA office.
Women Veterans Call Center
1-855-829-6636
Call or text. Staffed by women veterans who can connect you to services in your area.
Vet Centers
1-877-927-8387
Community-based counselling for combat veterans and their families. No VA enrollment required.
What This Rating Is Worth (2026)
| 10% | $180.42/mo |
| 20% | $356.66/mo |
| 30% | $552.47/mo |
| 40% | $795.84/mo |
| 50% | $1,132.90/mo |
| 60% | $1,435.02/mo |
| 70% | $1,808.45/mo |
| 80% | $2,102.15/mo |
| 90% | $2,362.30/mo |
| 100% | $3,938.58/mo |
Rates shown are the veteran-alone amounts effective December 1, 2025. A spouse, children, or dependent parents increase your payment at 30% and above. Every 10% you are under-rated can cost you thousands of dollars a year for the rest of your life.
Estimate Your Exact Pay
Veteran RepresentationYour VA Claim Exam: What to Expect
This official VBA video walks you through the entire C&P exam process. Understanding what happens in that room is the difference between a rating that reflects your true condition and one that undervalues you.
Veteran RepresentationWhat It Takes to Win These Benefits
The Three-Part Test
Service connection under 38 CFR §3.303 requires all three:
- 1A current, diagnosed disability
- 2An in-service event, injury, or exposure
- 3A medical nexus linking the two
Veteran RepresentationThe medical evidence the VA is actually looking for:
VA Claim Exams: Musculoskeletal / Rheumatological
This exam is specific to your body system. The examiner uses a specialized DBQ for this category of conditions, and the tests they perform determine your exact rating level. Watch this before your appointment.
What to Expect at Your C&P Exam
Your Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam is not treatment. It is a rating tool. The examiner will not fix anything — they complete a Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) and check the boxes that decide your rating. What happens in that room can move your rating an entire level, so walk in prepared.
Veteran RepresentationThe Forms You File — We Prepare Them For You
These are the forms that drive this claim. Start any of them on our site and an accredited agent prepares and files it for you — correctly, the first time.
Application for Disability Compensation
The core application that opens or reopens your claim.
Start this with usStatement in Support of Claim
Your own account and buddy/lay statements that fill the gaps in your record.
Start this with usAppoint Us as Your Representative
Authorizes our accredited agent to act on your behalf with the VA.
Start this with usUnemployability (TDIU) Application
Claims 100% pay when your conditions keep you from working — even below 100%.
Start this with usDisability Benefits Questionnaire
The exam form that captures the severity criteria for this specific condition.
Start this with usSMC & TDIU — When Your Rating Isn't the Whole Story
TDIU — Paid at 100% Without a 100% Rating
Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (38 CFR §4.16) pays you at the 100% rate when your service-connected conditions prevent substantially gainful employment — even if your combined rating is lower. You may qualify if:
- One condition is rated 60% or higher, or
- Two+ conditions combine to 70% with at least one rated 40%, and
- Those conditions keep you from holding steady, gainful work.
- Cannot meet the numbers? Extraschedular TDIU under §4.16(b) may still apply.
Special Monthly Compensation (SMC)
SMC (38 CFR §3.350) pays above the normal schedule for especially serious losses — loss or loss of use of a body part, being housebound, or needing the aid and attendance of another person. Common levels:
- SMC-K — Loss / loss of use — Add-on for loss or loss of use of a specific body part (hand, foot, eye, reproductive organ, or certain other losses). Paid on top of your regular compensation. Can stack (up to the statutory cap).
- SMC-S — Housebound — Statutory housebound: a single 100% disability plus additional disabilities of 60%+, or substantially confined to your home. Veteran-alone rate shown.
- SMC-L — Aid & Attendance — You need the regular aid and attendance of another person, or have anatomical loss/loss of use of both feet, one hand and one foot, blindness, or are permanently bedridden. Veteran-alone rate shown.
- SMC-M — Higher Aid & Attendance — A higher level of aid and attendance (e.g., loss of use of both hands, or loss of use of both legs at a higher level). Veteran-alone rate shown.
These are the benefits veterans most often leave on the table because no one told them they qualified. If any of this sounds like your situation, call an accredited agent at 702-992-4883 — we screen for SMC and TDIU on every case.
Talk to a VA-accredited claims agent about hip & thigh conditions
Albert L. Thombs Jr. is a US Army veteran, VA-Accredited Claims Agent #45147, and 100% service-connected himself. He personally reviews every request. Fees are capped by 38 CFR §14.636 — and there are no fees unless you win.
Three Ways to Put an Accredited Agent on Hip & Thigh Conditions
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