Muscle Group XVI — Pelvic Girdle (Flexors of Hip)

DC 5316Musculoskeletal38 CFR 4.73, DC 5316

Muscle Group XVI includes the pelvic girdle muscles that flex the hip: the psoas, iliacus, and pectineus. These muscles are the primary hip flexors, responsible for lifting the thigh toward the torso, initiating walking and running movements, and stabilizing the lumbar spine during movement. In military service, injuries commonly occur from prolonged marching under heavy load causing chronic strain, explosive running and sprinting during physical training, sit-up and core training overuse, penetrating wounds to the anterior pelvis and hip region, and parachute landing falls during airborne operations. The VA rates Muscle Group XVI injuries under 38 CFR 4.73.

How the VA rates this condition

The VA rates this condition based on how much it affects your ability to work and carry out daily activities. The examiner will focus on the functional limitations your condition causes, not just the diagnosis itself.

Diagnostic code

DC 5316

Rating range

0% – 30%

Rating levels

Rating criteria are defined in 38 CFR 4.73, DC 5316. This guide presents a plain-language summary and is not a substitute for the full regulatory text. Always consult a VSO or VA-accredited attorney for case-specific advice.

Rating Levels

Your Muscle Group XVI injury is severe. There is extensive scarring with severe loss of hip flexor muscle substance and visible atrophy. Hip flexion is profoundly impaired, significantly affecting walking initiation, stair climbing, and any activity requiring thigh elevation. Lumbar spine instability may result from loss of psoas support.

What the VA looks for

Ragged, depressed, or adherent scars
Severe hip flexor substance loss with visible atrophy
Muscle swelling and hardening abnormally in contraction
X-ray evidence of retained foreign bodies or bony changes
Profound impairment of hip flexion and gait initiation
Compensatory lumbar hyperlordosis from psoas weakness

Common Pitfalls

⚠Not documenting your MOS and specific duties that caused the injury — hip flexor injuries should be linked to military marching under load, running, parachute operations, or specific trauma to the anterior hip region.
⚠Failing to describe the cardinal signs of muscle disability per 38 CFR 4.56 — loss of power, weakness, lowered threshold of fatigue, fatigue-pain, impairment of coordination, and uncertainty of movement must each be addressed.
⚠Not documenting the impact on lumbar spine — the psoas attaches to the lumbar vertebrae, and its weakness or injury can cause compensatory low back problems that should be separately claimed as secondary conditions.
⚠Not testing hip flexion in both seated and supine positions — different positions isolate different hip flexor muscles and provide a more complete picture of the functional deficit.

Related DBQ Forms

DBQ Muscle Injuries

View evidence checklist →See secondary conditions →

Condition Rating Guides

Understand what the VA looks for at each rating level — loading conditions…

Muscle Group XVI — Pelvic Girdle (Flexors of Hip)

How the VA rates this condition

Diagnostic code

DC 5316

Rating range

0% – 30%

Rating levels

Rating Levels

What the VA looks for

Ragged, depressed, or adherent scars
Severe hip flexor substance loss with visible atrophy
Muscle swelling and hardening abnormally in contraction
X-ray evidence of retained foreign bodies or bony changes
Profound impairment of hip flexion and gait initiation
Compensatory lumbar hyperlordosis from psoas weakness

Common Pitfalls

⚠Not documenting your MOS and specific duties that caused the injury — hip flexor injuries should be linked to military marching under load, running, parachute operations, or specific trauma to the anterior hip region.

⚠Failing to describe the cardinal signs of muscle disability per 38 CFR 4.56 — loss of power, weakness, lowered threshold of fatigue, fatigue-pain, impairment of coordination, and uncertainty of movement must each be addressed.

⚠Not documenting the impact on lumbar spine — the psoas attaches to the lumbar vertebrae, and its weakness or injury can cause compensatory low back problems that should be separately claimed as secondary conditions.

⚠Not testing hip flexion in both seated and supine positions — different positions isolate different hip flexor muscles and provide a more complete picture of the functional deficit.