This reference uses VA rating codes. For a code from a medical record, check ICD-10-CM and the service date. A clinical code alone does not establish a VA rating or a matching VA diagnostic code.
Ribs, removal of
Musculoskeletal · 38 CFR § 4.71a
Diagnostic Code 5297 is the VASRD entry for Ribs, removal of. VA applies the controlling criteria, shared formulas, and special instructions shown in 38 CFR Part 4. VMC presents this material for education and reference; it does not determine a Veteran's diagnosis, service connection, or evaluation.
Recorded index labels
These labels are already stored for this diagnostic code. They are not a new condition, rating, or medical relationship.
Appendix B
- Removal of.
Appendix C
- Ribs
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Source-verified VASRD criteria
How VA rates this diagnostic code
These percentages summarize the regulatory criteria already mapped to this diagnostic code. They do not predict a Veteran's individual evaluation or establish service connection.
More than six
Five or six
Three or four
Two
One or resection of two or more ribs without regeneration
Regulatory notes
- Note (1): The rating for rib resection or removal is not to be applied with ratings for purrulent pleurisy, lobectomy, pneumonectomy or injuries of pleural cavity.
- Note (2): However, rib resection will be considered as rib removal in thoracoplasty performed for collapse therapy or to accomplish obliteration of space and will be combined with the rating for lung collapse, or with the rating for lobectomy, pneumonectomy or the graduated ratings for pulmonary tuberculosis.
Body system and anatomy metadata
Body system: Musculoskeletal
Anatomy / region tags: multi region
These tags support discovery and body-map compatibility. They do not establish Veteran-specific laterality or entitlement.
Official VA DBQ references
DBQ catalog: va-dbq-2026.09.16 · Retrieved 2026-09-16. Official VA inventory ↗
- Amputations ↗ Related resourceCatalog category: Musculoskeletal
Related by body system only. No reviewed condition-specific form match or requirement has been established.
- Ankle ↗ Related resourceCatalog category: Musculoskeletal
Related by body system only. No reviewed condition-specific form match or requirement has been established.
- Back (Thoracolumbar Spine) ↗ Related resourceCatalog category: Musculoskeletal
Related by body system only. No reviewed condition-specific form match or requirement has been established.
- Bones and Other Skeletal Conditions ↗ Related resourceCatalog category: Musculoskeletal
Related by body system only. No reviewed condition-specific form match or requirement has been established.
- Elbow & Forearm ↗ Related resourceCatalog category: Musculoskeletal
Related by body system only. No reviewed condition-specific form match or requirement has been established.
- Foot Conditions Including Flatfoot (Pes Planus) ↗ Related resourceCatalog category: Musculoskeletal
Related by body system only. No reviewed condition-specific form match or requirement has been established.
- Hand and Finger ↗ Related resourceCatalog category: Musculoskeletal
Related by body system only. No reviewed condition-specific form match or requirement has been established.
- Hip and Thigh ↗ Related resourceCatalog category: Musculoskeletal
Related by body system only. No reviewed condition-specific form match or requirement has been established.
- Knee and Lower Leg ↗ Related resourceCatalog category: Musculoskeletal
Related by body system only. No reviewed condition-specific form match or requirement has been established.
- Muscle Injuries ↗ Related resourceCatalog category: Musculoskeletal
Related by body system only. No reviewed condition-specific form match or requirement has been established.
- Neck (Cervical Spine) ↗ Related resourceCatalog category: Musculoskeletal
Related by body system only. No reviewed condition-specific form match or requirement has been established.
- Osteomyelitis ↗ Related resourceCatalog category: Musculoskeletal
Related by body system only. No reviewed condition-specific form match or requirement has been established.
- Shoulder and/or Arm ↗ Related resourceCatalog category: Musculoskeletal
Related by body system only. No reviewed condition-specific form match or requirement has been established.
- Temporomandibular Disorders ↗ Related resourceCatalog category: Musculoskeletal
Related by body system only. No reviewed condition-specific form match or requirement has been established.
- Wrist ↗ Related resourceCatalog category: Musculoskeletal
Related by body system only. No reviewed condition-specific form match or requirement has been established.
- Arthritis ↗ Related resourceCatalog category: Rheumatological
Related by body system only. No reviewed condition-specific form match or requirement has been established.
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ↗ Related resourceCatalog category: Rheumatological
Related by body system only. No reviewed condition-specific form match or requirement has been established.
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and other Autoimmune Diseases ↗ Related resourceCatalog category: Rheumatological
Related by body system only. No reviewed condition-specific form match or requirement has been established.
VA maintains some examination forms that are not available for public use. VMC does not infer a one-code-to-one-DBQ relationship.
Evidence information
When reviewing the criteria, useful evidence categories can include diagnosis and treatment records, objective testing identified by the schedule, documented frequency/duration/severity when the criteria use those concepts, and functional effects described in medical or lay evidence. The relevant evidence depends on the actual claim and medical facts.
VMC does not diagnose conditions, guarantee a percentage, or advise anyone to exaggerate symptoms.
Legal basis and source identification
38 CFR § 4.71a · Source current through 2026-08-06 · Verified 2026-08-10
Registry content release: vasrd-registry-2026.08.1