Body system: Muscle InjuriesRegulation: 38 CFR § 4.73
This diagnostic code covers injuries to the gluteal muscles (your three main butt muscles) that control hip extension, moving your leg away from your body, and keeping your pelvis stable when you walk. The VA rates these muscle injuries at 0% for slight disability, 20% for moderate problems, and 40% for moderately severe issues. The rating depends on how much the muscle damage affects your ability to move your hip and maintain balance during daily activities.
Rating levels
- 50% — This criteria covers severe damage to your gluteal muscles (the three main muscles in your buttocks that help you stand, walk, and maintain balance). When these muscles are severely injured, you would have significant trouble extending your hip backward, moving your leg out to the side, keeping your pelvis level when walking, and maintaining steady balance while standing or moving. The injury would cause noticeable difficulty with basic activities like getting up from chairs, climbing stairs, walking on uneven surfaces, or standing for extended periods.
- 40% — Your hip muscles (the three gluteal muscles in your buttocks) are moderately severely damaged, causing significant problems with extending your hip backward, moving your leg out to the side, and keeping your pelvis stable when you walk or stand. This level of muscle injury makes it hard to maintain good posture and balance, and you'll have noticeable difficulty with activities like climbing stairs, getting up from chairs, or walking on uneven ground because these muscles can't properly support your body weight and keep your pelvis steady.
- 20% — Your hip muscles (the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus - your main buttock muscles) have moderate damage that affects your ability to extend your hip backward, move your leg out to the side, and maintain proper balance and posture. This level of muscle injury causes noticeable difficulty with activities like walking up stairs, getting up from chairs, standing on one leg, or maintaining steady balance, but you can still perform these functions with some effort or compensation.
- 0% — You have a slight injury to your gluteus muscles (the three main muscles in your buttocks that help you extend your hip, lift your leg out to the side, and keep your pelvis stable when walking). The injury causes only minor problems with these muscle functions, meaning you might have some mild weakness or discomfort but it doesn't significantly limit your daily activities or movement.