EDUCATIONAL TOOL ONLY. Not legal or medical advice. Not affiliated with the VA.
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Hip Fracture Residuals
DC 5255 | 38 CFR § 4.71a, DC 5255 |
Hip Fracture Residuals is rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs under DC 5255 of 38 CFR § 4.71a, DC 5255 across 8 severity tiers (80% / 60% / 50% / 40% / 30%…). 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
Residual limitations from a hip or proximal femur fracture including pain, limited motion, and impaired weight-bearing
RATING CRITERIA (8 LEVELS)
80%
DC 5255 "Femur, impairment of: Fracture of shaft or anatomical neck of: With nonunion, with loose motion (spiral or oblique fracture)" = 80%. (Verbatim § 4.71a DC 5255.) Footnote 3 — SMC entitled. Severe femoral shaft / neck nonunion with palpable mobility at fracture site.
60%
DC 5255 "Femur: Fracture of shaft or anatomical neck of: With nonunion, without loose motion, weight bearing preserved with aid of brace" = 60%; DC 5255 "Fracture of surgical neck of, with false joint" = 60%. (Verbatim § 4.71a DC 5255.) Footnote 3 — SMC entitled.
50%
DC 5255 "Malunion of: Marked knee or hip disability" rated under DC 5250-5254 / 5256-5261 — when malunion produces 50%-tier impairment under the relevant alternative DC (e.g., DC 5256 ankylosis flexion 20-45°). (Verbatim § 4.71a DC 5255 Malunion clause.) DC 5254 "Hip, flail joint" = 80% if applicable to extreme cases.
40%
DC 5252 "Thigh, limitation of flexion: Flexion limited to 10°" = 40% (verbatim § 4.71a, applied to post-fracture stiffness via DC 5255 malunion clause).
30%
DC 5252 "Flexion limited to 20°" = 30%. (Verbatim § 4.71a DC 5252.)
20%
DC 5252 "Flexion limited to 30°" = 20%; DC 5253 "Limitation of abduction, motion lost beyond 10°" = 20%. (Verbatim § 4.71a.)
10%
DC 5252 "Flexion limited to 45°" = 10%; DC 5253 various 10% tiers; OR — DC 5003 single-joint fallback with painful motion / swelling. (Verbatim § 4.71a.)
0%
Hip fracture residuals fully healed with normal ROM, no nonunion / malunion findings on imaging, no painful-motion residuals.
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 reference 38 C.F.R. Part 4 (Schedule for Rating Disabilities). This entry has not yet undergone editorial review against the live regulation text — consult the authoritative source directly before relying on the criteria shown.
EDUCATIONAL TOOL ONLY. NOT LEGAL OR MEDICAL ADVICE.
NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
CLAIM RECON 2026