Muscle injury, Group IX: intrinsic muscles of the hand DC 5309
VA rates it under diagnostic code 5309 in 38 CFR 4.73. Body system: Arms & hands.
How VA rates it
The schedule allows 10 rating levels for this code: 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, and 100%. VA picks the level whose criteria best match your symptoms and records.
Rated on limitation of motion of the hand, minimum 10%.
It affects one arm, so each side is rated on its own. When both sides are rated, VA adds the bilateral factor (38 CFR 4.26).
Source: 38 CFR 4.73 on eCFR. Read the full criteria there before you file.
Rating levels and criteria
| Rating | What the schedule says |
|---|---|
| 10% | Note: The hand is so compact a structure that isolated muscle injuries are rare, being nearly always complicated with injuries of bones, joints, tendons, etc. Rate on limitation of motion, minimum 10 percent.true |
Criteria text from 38 CFR 4.73, eCFR as of November 10, 2026. The eCFR is the official source if anything here differs.
Notes in the schedule (1)
Note: The hand is so compact a structure that isolated muscle injuries are rare, being nearly always complicated with injuries of bones, joints, tendons, etc. Rate on limitation of motion, minimum 10 percent.
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Rating schedule data as of November 10, 2026. Secondary and presumptive links checked November 13, 2026.
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