Body system: Musculoskeletal SystemRegulation: 38 CFR § 4.71a
Elbow ankylosis means your elbow joint has become completely stiff and fused in one position - you can't bend or straighten it at all. The VA rates this condition from 30% to 50% based on the angle your elbow is stuck at and whether you can still rotate your forearm. A 50% rating applies when your elbow is fused at a very awkward angle (less than 50 degrees) or you've completely lost the ability to turn your palm up or down, while 30% is given when your elbow is stuck in a more functional position between 70-90 degrees.
Rating levels
- 60% — Your elbow is completely stiff and locked in a bad position at less than a 50-degree bend, or you've completely lost the ability to rotate your forearm palm-up (supination) or palm-down (pronation). This means your arm is stuck in a position that significantly limits your ability to perform daily tasks like reaching, lifting, or turning objects.
- 50% — Your elbow is completely stiff and locked in a bad position at less than a 50-degree bend, or you've completely lost the ability to rotate your forearm (supination means turning your palm up, pronation means turning your palm down). This level of ankylosis (complete joint stiffness) severely limits your ability to use your arm for daily activities like eating, writing, or reaching.
- 50% — Your elbow is completely stuck (ankylosis means the joint cannot move at all) and is frozen in a position that is moderately bent - either slightly more than a right angle, or bent somewhere between 70 and 50 degrees. This intermediate position means your elbow isn't stuck completely straight or completely bent, but rather in a middle range that significantly limits your arm's function.
- 40% — Your elbow is completely frozen (ankylosis means the joint cannot move at all) and is stuck in a position that is either bent more than 90 degrees or bent between 50 and 70 degrees. These positions significantly limit your ability to use your arm for daily activities like eating, reaching, or lifting because your elbow cannot straighten or bend from its fixed position.
- 40% — Your elbow is completely locked in place and cannot bend or straighten (ankylosis means the joint is fused and immobile), but it's stuck in a helpful position bent between 70 and 90 degrees. This angle is considered "favorable" because it allows you to perform most daily activities like eating, writing, and basic tasks even though the joint doesn't move at all.
- 30% — Your elbow is completely fused (ankylosis means the joint cannot move at all) in a position that's bent between 70 and 90 degrees, which is considered a favorable angle because it allows you to perform most daily activities like eating, writing, and lifting objects to some degree.