EDUCATIONAL TOOL ONLY. Not legal or medical advice. Not affiliated with the VA.
← All Condition GuidesCLAIM RECON INTEL
Common Peroneal (External Popliteal) Nerve Paralysis
✓ VERIFIED AGAINST 38 C.F.R.§ 4.124a (Neurological conditions and convulsive disorders) · reviewed 2026-05-15 · ClaimRecon Editorial Team
Common Peroneal (External Popliteal) Nerve Paralysis is rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs under DC 8521 of 38 CFR § 4.124a, DC 8521 across 4 severity tiers (10% / 20% / 30% / 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.
OVERVIEW
Paralysis of the common peroneal nerve causing foot drop, inability to dorsiflex the foot, and numbness on the outer lower leg.
RATING CRITERIA (4 LEVELS)
10%
Mild incomplete paralysis of the common peroneal nerve — intermittent paresthesia over dorsum of foot, minimal dorsiflexion weakness.
20%
Moderate incomplete paralysis — moderate dorsiflexion weakness on objective testing, partial foot drop, EMG/NCS-confirmed motor loss.
30%
Severe incomplete paralysis — marked weakness, near-complete foot drop, requires AFO (ankle-foot orthosis).
40%
Complete paralysis. Verbatim § 4.124a: "foot drop and slight droop of first phalanges of all toes, cannot dorsiflex the foot, extension (dorsal flexion) of proximal phalanges of toes lost; abduction of foot lost, adduction weakened; anesthesia covers entire dorsum of foot and toes."
KEY EVIDENCE TO GATHER
-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
C&P EXAM TIPS (6)
1.Do NOT stretch, warm up, or take pain medication before your exam. The VA needs your baseline limitation.
2.Report your WORST day. DeLuca v. Brown requires documentation of functional loss during flare-ups.
3.Tell the examiner about flare-ups: frequency, duration, estimated ROM loss. Sharp v. Shulkin (2017) requires estimates.
4.Request active, passive, weight-bearing, and non-weight-bearing ROM testing per Correia v. McDonald (2016).
5.If you use assistive devices (brace, cane), bring them.
6.Describe daily activity impact: work, sleep, household tasks.
SOURCES & EDITORIAL
Rating criteria text quoted verbatim from 38 C.F.R. § 4.124a (Neurological conditions and convulsive disorders). Source verified 2026-05-15 by ClaimRecon Editorial Team during a regulation-text comparison against the Cornell Law CFR mirror; eCFR.gov is the authoritative government source.
EDUCATIONAL TOOL ONLY. NOT LEGAL OR MEDICAL ADVICE.
NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
CLAIM RECON 2026