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Gout

A form of inflammatory arthritis caused by high uric acid levels that causes sudden, severe attacks of pain, swelling, and redness in joints. IMPORTANT — the schedule changed. Gout used to be rated on the multi-joint arthritis criteria of DC 5002, an attack-frequency ladder running to 100 percent. It is not any more. 38 CFR 4.71a now directs that DC 5013 through DC 5024, which includes DC 5017 Gout, be evaluated AS DEGENERATIVE ARTHRITIS, based on limitation of motion of the affected parts — and DC 5009 is written as "Other specified forms of arthropathy (excluding gout)" precisely to keep gout off the DC 5002 ladder. Your rating now comes from the limitation of motion of each joint gout has damaged, under that joint's own diagnostic code, with the results combined under 38 CFR 4.25.

Code: 5017
Criteria: 38 CFR 4.71a, DC 5017 (evaluated as degenerative arthritis on limitation of motion); 38 CFR 4.59
Exam length: ~30-45 minutes
Form: Rheumatoid Arthritis DBQ

Rating steps

The percentages this diagnostic code can be rated at. Which one applies depends on the findings — no tool here can tell you in advance.

What happens at the appointment

Gout is DC 5017, and the schedule changed: 38 CFR 4.71a now directs DC 5013 through DC 5024 — which includes gout — to be evaluated AS DEGENERATIVE ARTHRITIS, based on limitation of motion of the affected parts, and DC 5009 is written "excluding gout" to keep it off the DC 5002 attack-frequency ladder. Expect the examiner to measure range of motion in every joint gout has attacked, not just count your flare-ups.
The examiner will assess each joint that has been affected — commonly the big toe (podagra), ankles, knees, wrists, and fingers — measuring range of motion and checking for tophi (uric acid deposits under the skin).
You will be asked about incapacitating exacerbations — gout attacks severe enough to require bed rest prescribed by a physician. Their frequency and duration are key rating factors.
Lab work (serum uric acid levels, joint aspiration results showing urate crystals) will be reviewed to confirm the diagnosis.
The examiner will assess whether gout has caused chronic joint damage, deformity, or kidney complications (uric acid kidney stones).

What the examiner is actually filling in

01Whether gout is in an active or inactive phase at the time of the exam.
02Number and duration of incapacitating exacerbations in the past 12 months.
03Presence of tophi and their locations.
04Range of motion and chronic joint damage in previously affected joints.
05Whether the disease causes definite impairment, severe impairment, or total incapacitation of health objectively supported by exam findings.

Rated under 38 CFR 4.71a, DC 5017 (evaluated as degenerative arthritis on limitation of motion); 38 CFR 4.59. The examiner records findings on the DBQ; a rating specialist makes the decision.

A complete answer sounds like

Describe your worst attacks vividly: "The pain is so severe that even a bedsheet touching my toe is unbearable. I cannot walk for 4-5 days." This level of detail matters.
If you have had joint aspiration (fluid drawn from a joint) that confirmed urate crystals, make sure those records are in your file — it is the gold standard for diagnosis.
Mention dietary and lifestyle restrictions forced by gout: foods you avoid, alcohol limitations, activities you cannot risk because they trigger attacks.
If gout has caused permanent joint damage even between attacks (reduced motion, chronic stiffness), report that separately from the acute flares.
Report the total number of attacks per year AND ask for range of motion to be measured in every affected joint. Attack frequency alone no longer sets the rating for gout — DC 5017 is evaluated on limitation of motion — but flare-up records still matter, because 38 CFR 4.59 requires the examiner to account for motion during a flare, which is often where the compensable limitation shows up.

What costs veterans points

Scheduling the exam during a period when gout is well-controlled and no joints are actively inflamed — the examiner may underestimate disease severity.
Not documenting incapacitating episodes with physician records. Self-treating gout attacks at home without medical visits makes it harder to prove the frequency.
Forgetting to mention that gout affects multiple joints over time, not just the big toe — each affected joint contributes to the overall picture.
Not reporting kidney stones or renal complications caused by elevated uric acid — these are separately ratable residuals of gout.
Failing to describe the functional impact during attacks: "I cannot put on a shoe, walk to the bathroom, or bear any weight on my foot for 3-5 days per attack."

The rating criteria, in plain language

Rating levels for Gout under 38 CFR 4.71a, DC 5017 (evaluated as degenerative arthritis on limitation of motion); 38 CFR 4.59
Rating	Rating criteria	What that means for you
0%	In every instance where the schedule does not provide a zero percent evaluation for a diagnostic code, a zero percent evaluation shall be assigned when the requirements for a compensable evaluation are not met.	Your gout is service-connected but between attacks no affected joint shows limitation of motion, and motion is not objectively painful. DC 5017 is evaluated as degenerative arthritis based on limitation of motion of the affected parts, so with full painless motion at every joint gout has attacked, neither that route nor the 38 CFR 4.59 minimum compensable rating is reached. DC 5017 prints no 0 percent rung of its own; 38 CFR 4.31 supplies it: no monthly payment, but the condition is on record and a later increase runs from this date. The lowest compensable level under this code is 10 percent.
0%	What supports this level Range of motion measured at every joint gout has attacked, with full motion recorded No objective evidence of painful motion at any affected joint Attack history and uric acid levels documented even where no residual limitation remains A dated record of the condition so that a later increase claim has a starting point
10%	The intent of the schedule is to recognize painful motion with joint or periarticular pathology as productive of disability. It is the intention to recognize actually painful, unstable, or malaligned joints, due to healed injury, as entitled to at least the minimum compensable rating for the joint.	Gout has left a major joint with painful motion, or with limitation of motion that is not severe enough to be compensable under the joint's own code. 38 CFR 4.59 makes that the minimum compensable rating for the joint. Claim EVERY affected joint — each one carries its own evaluation and they are combined, not added, under 38 CFR 4.25.
10%	What supports this level Gout diagnosis confirmed by uric acid levels or joint aspiration Objective evidence of painful motion at the affected joint Range of motion measured for every joint gout has attacked Each affected joint identified separately in the exam report
20%	Leg, limitation of flexion of: Flexion limited to 30°.	Gout has left an affected joint with limitation of motion that is compensable at 20 percent under that joint's own code — for example flexion of the leg limited to 30 degrees (DC 5260), marked limitation of ankle motion (DC 5271), or flexion of the thigh limited to 30 degrees (DC 5252). The quoted criterion below is DC 5260.
20%	What supports this level Compensable limitation of motion measured at the affected joint Range of motion measured during a flare-up as well as between flares Imaging showing gouty erosions or tophi at the joint Treatment records documenting the chronic joint damage
30%	Leg, limitation of flexion of: Flexion limited to 15°.	Gout has left an affected joint with marked limitation of motion — for example flexion of the leg limited to 15 degrees (DC 5260) or flexion of the thigh limited to 20 degrees (DC 5252). The quoted criterion below is DC 5260.
30%	What supports this level Marked limitation of motion measured at the affected joint Assistive device prescribed for ambulation Imaging showing advanced joint destruction Occupational impact documented
40%	Leg, limitation of extension of: Extension limited to 30°.	Gout has destroyed a joint to the point of severe limitation of motion or ankylosis — for example extension of the leg limited to 30 degrees (DC 5261, 40 percent), or ankylosis of the ankle in an unfavorable position (DC 5270, 40 percent). The ceiling here is whatever the affected joint's own code allows, and it differs joint by joint: the hip ankylosis code DC 5250 reaches 90 percent, the knee extension code DC 5261 reaches 50 percent, the ankle codes stop at 40 percent. The quoted criterion below is DC 5261.
40%	What supports this level Severe limitation of motion or ankylosis documented Exact range of motion or angle of fixation recorded Imaging confirming joint destruction Assistive devices and functional loss documented

The middle column is our transcription of the criteria at 38 CFR 4.71a, DC 5017 (evaluated as degenerative arthritis on limitation of motion); 38 CFR 4.59, condensed for reading. Read the section itself on eCFR before relying on the exact wording. The items under each level are the kinds of evidence that document it — not a VA checklist, and not a prediction of which level applies to you.

Mistakes we see most often

Being rated on attack frequency alone. That was the old DC 5002 framework and it no longer applies to gout. What drives the rating now is measured limitation of motion at each damaged joint — so the exam must include range of motion figures for every joint gout has attacked, not just a count of flare-ups. Flare-up records still matter: 38 CFR 4.59 requires the examiner to consider motion during a flare, and that is often where the compensable limitation shows up.

Not seeking treatment during acute attacks — if you only see a doctor between attacks, your records will not show how bad flare-ups actually are.

Not filing for secondary conditions — gout is associated with kidney disease, hypertension, and diabetes. Medication side effects may also support additional claims.

Claiming only one joint. Gout is usually polyarticular. Each affected joint gets its own evaluation under its own diagnostic code, and they are COMBINED under 38 CFR 4.25 rather than added — so a 10 percent great toe and a 20 percent knee are worth more together than either alone. List every joint on the claim.

Being told gout is still rated under DC 5002. 38 CFR 4.71a now directs DC 5017 to be evaluated as degenerative arthritis on limitation of motion, and DC 5009 explicitly excludes gout. If a rating decision cites the DC 5002 exacerbation criteria for your gout, that is a point worth raising.

Before & after your exam

These apply to every C&P exam, whatever the condition.

Do not miss the appointment: Missing your C&P exam without a good reason can cost you. Under 38 CFR § 3.655, a missed exam can cause a claim for an increased rating or a reopened claim to be denied, and can cause an original claim to be decided on the evidence already in your file. If you cannot make it, call the VA or the exam company right away to reschedule — a documented good reason (illness, work conflict, no transportation, a family emergency) protects your claim.
Your examiner may be a contractor: Many C&P exams are performed by VA-contracted companies — QTC, Optum Serve (LHI), VES, or MSLA — not at a VA hospital. They will call, text, or mail you to schedule. Do not ignore an unknown number or letter while your claim is pending, and confirm the exam location and time before you go.
The examiner does not decide your claim: The examiner's job is to record findings on the Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ). A rating specialist at the Regional Office makes the actual decision, using the exam together with your full record — service records, medical records, and lay statements. One appointment does not settle everything.
Get a copy of your exam report: After the exam you can request the report (often called the DBQ or C&P exam results) through VA.gov, the Blue Button tool, or your accredited representative. Reading it lets you catch errors while you still have time to respond.
If the exam was inadequate, you have options: If the examiner rushed you, evaluated the wrong condition, or the report is inaccurate, you can submit a statement and new evidence, and — after a decision — request a review (a Supplemental Claim or Higher-Level Review). A single bad exam is not the end of your claim.

View condition guide →View evidence checklist →

Folder readiness

Tick these off as you gather them. Nothing here is required — the exam happens either way — but each one is something the examiner cannot record if it is not in front of them.

Saved in this browser only.

Take it with you

Print the whole guide — what the examiner records, the folder list with your ticks, the criteria table and the mistakes to avoid — and bring it to the appointment.

Frequently paired

Documented secondary or co-occurring conditions. Each is examined separately and has its own guide.

Free tool · 282 guides · DBQ-aligned

C&P Exam Preparation Guides

The VA orders this exam to verify your diagnosis and measure how severe it is right now. It can shape your rating and your monthly compensation — but it does not decide your claim. A rating specialist weighs it against your full record, and if the exam does not reflect your condition, you can say so and ask the VA to correct it.

Source forms
Coverage

Gout

Rating steps

What happens at the appointment

What the examiner is actually filling in

A complete answer sounds like

What costs veterans points

The rating criteria, in plain language

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

Mistakes we see most often

Before & after your exam

Gout

Rating steps

What happens at the appointment

What the examiner is actually filling in

A complete answer sounds like

What costs veterans points

The rating criteria, in plain language

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

Mistakes we see most often

Before & after your exam