VA BENEFITS REFERENCE
VA Rating Criteria Glossary
A term in the rating schedule can have a specific meaning that differs from everyday usage. Read each definition alongside its diagnostic code; these references do not establish a diagnosis or predict a rating.
Prostrating Attacks
For migraine code 8100, prostrating describes the disabling character of an attack, not simply the existence of a headache. In Johnson v. Wilkie, the Veterans Court explained characteristic prostrating attacks in terms of attacks typically producing powerlessness or a lack of vitality.
The highest listed level adds other requirements, including completely prostrating and prolonged attacks and severe economic inadaptability. These terms should not be collapsed into one label. Records describing what an attack prevents, how long it lasts and how often it occurs provide context; the word prostrating alone does not establish every element.
Incapacitating Episodes
There is no single definition that can be carried across the entire schedule. For the IVDS formula associated with code 5243, the note requires acute signs and symptoms due to IVDS requiring physician-prescribed bed rest and physician treatment. Choosing to rest at home does not by itself satisfy that definition.
The eye-disease formula instead defines an episode through a clinic visit to a provider specifically for treatment and uses documented treatment-visit frequency. The sinusitis formula has its own definition involving bed rest and physician treatment. A missed workday is therefore not a universal measure of a qualifying episode. Always identify the code and its note first.
Ankylosis
Ankylosis concerns fixation of a joint or spinal segment, with the applicable criteria distinguishing particular positions or favorable and unfavorable conditions. It should not be used casually as a synonym for any painful or stiff movement.
For the spine, the general formula includes a specific note describing unfavorable ankylosis and states that fixation in a neutral position represents favorable ankylosis. Applying the criteria requires the actual medical and functional record; this short definition does not decide whether a particular presentation meets the legal standard.
Sources: [1].
Major And Minor Extremity
In upper-extremity rating columns, major and minor refer to dominance, not how serious the disability feels. Section 4.69 allows only one hand to be considered dominant. For an ambidextrous person, the injured or more severely injured hand is considered dominant for rating purposes.
Keep that distinction separate from major and minor joints in the arthritis provisions. A table's labels and the applicable body-system rules determine what a column means; familiar words can serve different technical purposes.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can The Same Term Mean Something Different In Another Code?
Yes. Incapacitating episode is a clear example. Use the definition and qualifying evidence requirements in the actual code being applied.
Official Sources
Last verified 2026-10-25. Source publication or legal effective dates are shown separately where available.
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-4.124a
- www.uscourts.cavc.gov/documents/JohnsonWS_16-3808.pdf
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-4.71a
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-4.79
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-4.97
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-4.126
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-4.130
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-4.69
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-4.45
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