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Spondylolisthesis is rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs under DC 5239 of 38 CFR § 4.71a, DC 5239 across 6 severity tiers (10% / 20% / 30% / 40% / 50%…). 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 Chronic Low Back Pain or Radiculopathy under 38 C.F.R. § 3.310.
Spondylolisthesis is the forward (or, less often, backward) slippage of one vertebra over the one beneath it, most commonly at the L5-S1 or L4-L5 level of the lumbar spine. It frequently follows a pars interarticularis defect (spondylolysis) or degenerative facet/disc breakdown, producing chronic low back pain, segmental instability, reduced and painful motion, and sometimes nerve-root compression with radiating leg symptoms. Severity is graded radiographically (Meyerding grade I through IV by percent slip), but VA rates it functionally on lost spinal motion, ankylosis, and any separately compensable neurologic deficit rather than on the slip grade itself.
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.