VA Disability Rating for Paralysis of sciatic nerve (DC 8520)

Rating levels

• 80% — You have complete paralysis of your sciatic nerve, which means your foot hangs down limply and you cannot lift it up or move it on its own. You cannot actively move any of the muscles below your knee, and bending your knee is either very weak or completely impossible. Your leg below the knee essentially doesn't respond to your brain's signals to move.
• 60% — The nerve damage is severe but not complete, meaning you still have some function but it's significantly limited. You experience marked muscle wasting and shrinkage (atrophy) in the affected leg, which is visibly noticeable. Your symptoms would include significant weakness, difficulty walking, and substantial muscle loss in the areas controlled by the sciatic nerve.
• 40% — You have significant but not complete paralysis of your sciatic nerve (the large nerve that runs from your lower back down through your leg). Your leg function is moderately impaired - you likely experience weakness in moving your foot up or down, difficulty walking normally, and possibly some numbness or pain, but you still have some muscle control and movement in the affected leg.
• 20% — You have moderate nerve damage to your sciatic nerve (the large nerve that runs from your lower back down through your leg) that causes noticeable problems but doesn't completely disable the nerve function. This typically means you experience significant pain, numbness, or weakness in your leg and foot, along with some muscle weakness or partial loss of movement, but you still retain some normal nerve function and aren't completely paralyzed.
• 10% — Your sciatic nerve damage is partial and causes only mild symptoms. This means you have some weakness, numbness, or pain in your leg and foot, but it doesn't severely limit your daily activities or prevent you from walking normally. The nerve problems are noticeable but manageable without major impact on your ability to function.