VA BENEFITS REFERENCE
DC 5055: Knee, Resurfacing Or Replacement (Prosthesis)
Read VA diagnostic code 5055 for Knee, resurfacing or replacement (prosthesis): published criteria, regulatory notes, related codes and official sources checked October 25, 2026.
Published criteria from 38 CFR 4.71a, current through 2026-10-22. Historical decisions may require a different version. This reference does not diagnose a condition or determine an evaluation.
The Musculoskeletal System · All Diagnostic Codes
DC 5055: Knee, Resurfacing Or Replacement (Prosthesis)
Diagnostic code 5055 addresses Knee, resurfacing or replacement (prosthesis). Read its specific instructions together with any shared formula, notes and linked provisions. These criteria describe evaluation after the applicable entitlement requirements are met; this reference does not diagnose a condition or determine a claim.
| Rating | ||
|---|---|---|
| Major | Minor | |
| 5055 Knee, resurfacing or replacement (prosthesis): | ||
| For 4 months following implantation of prosthesis or resurfacing | 100 | |
| Prosthetic replacement of knee joint: | ||
| With chronic residuals consisting of severe painful motion or weakness in the affected extremity | 60 | |
| With intermediate degrees of residual weakness, pain or limitation of motion rate by analogy to diagnostic codes 5256, 5261, or 5262. | ||
| Minimum evaluation, total replacement only | 30 | |
| Note: At the conclusion of the 100 percent evaluation period, evaluate resurfacing under diagnostic codes 5256 through 5262; there is no minimum evaluation for resurfacing. | ||
| 1 Also entitled to special monthly compensation. | ||
What The Criteria Measure
- Does the decision identify diagnostic code 5055, and does the medical record describe the condition named by this code?
- If the table distinguishes sides, does the record identify the affected side and the dominant extremity?
- Have the code-specific notes and cross-references been read before comparing any listed evaluation?
Related Public DBQs
Editorial subject matches, not official VA code-to-form assignments. Read the form scope and clinician instructions.
Regulatory Cross-References
- DC 5256: Knee, ankylosis of
- DC 5257: Knee, other impairment of
- DC 5258: Cartilage, semilunar, dislocated, with frequent episodes of “locking,” pain, and effusion into the joint
- DC 5259: Cartilage, semilunar, removal of, symptomatic
- DC 5260: Leg, limitation of flexion of
- DC 5261: Leg, limitation of extension of
- DC 5262: Tibia and fibula, impairment of
Shared Rules And Regulatory Context
- 38 CFR 4.71a Context And Notes
- 38 CFR 4.40 Context And Notes
- 38 CFR 4.41 Context And Notes
- 38 CFR 4.42 Context And Notes
- 38 CFR 4.43 Context And Notes
- 38 CFR 4.44 Context And Notes
- 38 CFR 4.45 Context And Notes
- 38 CFR 4.46 Context And Notes
- 38 CFR 4.57 Context And Notes
- 38 CFR 4.58 Context And Notes
- 38 CFR 4.59 Context And Notes
- 38 CFR 4.61 Context And Notes
- 38 CFR 4.62 Context And Notes
- 38 CFR 4.63 Context And Notes
- 38 CFR 4.64 Context And Notes
- 38 CFR 4.66 Context And Notes
- 38 CFR 4.67 Context And Notes
- 38 CFR 4.68 Context And Notes
- 38 CFR 4.69 Context And Notes
- 38 CFR 4.70 Context And Notes
- 38 CFR 4.71 Context And Notes
Context provisions do not create an additional evaluation automatically assigned to every condition.
Related Guides
Official Sources
Last verified 2026-10-25. Source publication or legal effective dates are shown separately where available.
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-4/section-4.71a
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-4/section-4.40
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-4/section-4.41
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-4/section-4.42
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-4/section-4.43
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-4/section-4.44
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-4/section-4.45
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-4/section-4.46
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-4/section-4.57
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-4/section-4.58
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-4/section-4.59
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-4/section-4.61
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-4/section-4.62
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-4/section-4.63
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-4/section-4.64
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-4/section-4.66
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-4/section-4.67
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-4/section-4.68
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-4/section-4.69
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-4/section-4.70
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-4/section-4.71
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