Elbow injuries are common service-connected disabilities affecting many veterans who receive VA disability compensation. Veterans developed elbow injuries from military service—repetitive throwing activities, heavy equipment operation, combat-related trauma, and occupational demands stress the veteran’s elbows. Many veterans experience chronic elbow pain, limited mobility, and functional impairment from service-related elbow injuries. Some veterans’ elbow injuries progress to elbow arthritis or require elbow surgery affecting the veteran. Yet many veterans don’t realize they can file for VA disability benefits for elbow injuries or don’t understand how the VA rates elbow disability in veterans. This comprehensive article explains how veterans develop service-connected elbow injuries, how veterans can file disability claims for elbow damage, what disability ratings veterans with elbow injuries receive, and how veterans can maximize compensation for elbow injury disabilities.

How Veterans Develop Service-Connected Elbow Injuries

Veterans develop elbow injuries through various service-related pathways:

Repetitive Throwing: Military training and combat operations require throwing grenades, rocks, or other objects. The repetitive throwing motion during a veteran’s military service stresses the veteran’s elbow joint, causing elbow injuries affecting the veteran.

Heavy Equipment Operation: Veterans operating heavy equipment or machinery experience repetitive stress on the veteran’s elbow joints. The occupational demands during a veteran’s military service cause elbow injuries in veterans.

Combat-Related Trauma: Veterans sustained elbow injuries from blast injuries, vehicle accidents, falls from height, or direct combat trauma affecting the veteran’s elbow. These acute elbow injuries in veterans often lead to long-term pain and dysfunction affecting the veteran.

Load Carrying: Veterans who carried heavy loads during military service sometimes developed elbow injuries from the stress on the veteran’s arms. Carrying heavy equipment or ammunition stressed the veteran’s elbows affecting the veteran.

Training Injuries: Military training includes activities stressing the veteran’s elbow joints. Falls, impacts, or training exercises caused elbow injuries in veterans.

Types of Elbow Injuries in Veterans

Veterans experience various elbow injuries and conditions qualifying for disability benefits:

Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis): Inflammation of the tendons on the lateral side of the veteran’s elbow causes pain and weakness affecting the veteran. Tennis elbow in veterans results from repetitive gripping or throwing motions during the veteran’s military service.

Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis): Inflammation on the medial side of the veteran’s elbow causes pain affecting the veteran. This condition in veterans results from repetitive throwing or similar movements affecting the veteran.

Elbow Fractures: Fractures of the veteran’s elbow bones (humerus, radius, or ulna) cause significant disability. These fractures in veterans may require surgery and result in long-term complications affecting the veteran.

Elbow Dislocation: Traumatic dislocation of the veteran’s elbow joint causes acute pain and frequently results in chronic instability affecting the veteran. Elbow dislocations in veterans may require surgery affecting the veteran.

Elbow Arthritis: Osteoarthritis develops in the veteran’s elbow joint from injury or wear-and-tear affecting the veteran. Progressive arthritis in the veteran’s elbow causes chronic pain and dysfunction.

Olecranon Bursitis: Inflammation of the bursa at the back of the veteran’s elbow causes swelling and pain. Chronic bursitis in veterans affects the veteran’s elbow function.

Service Connection for Veterans with Elbow Injuries

Veterans can establish service connection for elbow injuries through several pathways:

Direct Service Connection: Veterans can establish direct service connection by showing that elbow injury resulted from a specific incident or occupational stress during military service. A veteran injured during training or combat can establish service connection for the veteran’s elbow injury.

Secondary Service Connection: Veterans often develop elbow problems secondary to other service-connected conditions. A veteran with service-connected shoulder injury might develop elbow problems affecting the veteran. A veteran with wrist injury might develop elbow dysfunction as the veteran compensates for the veteran’s injury affecting the veteran’s elbow.

Disability Ratings for Veterans with Elbow Injuries

The VA rates elbow injuries in veterans based on specific clinical findings and functional limitations affecting the veteran. The VA considers several factors when rating elbow injuries in veterans:

Range of Motion: The VA examines the veteran’s elbow range of motion. Veterans with severely limited elbow motion receive higher ratings affecting the veteran.

Pain and Symptoms: The VA considers pain severity and symptoms affecting the veteran. Medical records documenting the veteran’s elbow pain support higher ratings for the veteran’s injury.

Functional Limitations: The VA evaluates how the veteran’s elbow injury affects the veteran’s ability to grip, lift, throw, or perform occupational tasks. Veterans whose elbow injury significantly limits functional capacity receive higher ratings.

Imaging Findings: X-rays, MRI, and other imaging showing structural damage to the veteran’s elbow support disability ratings. Fractures, arthritis, or soft tissue damage in the veteran’s elbow warrant higher ratings.

VA Disability Ratings for Veterans with Elbow Injuries

The VA rates elbow injuries in veterans using specific rating schedules. Most elbow injuries in veterans receive ratings between 0% and 30%, though severe cases may receive higher ratings.

0-10% Rating for Veterans: Veterans at this level have mild elbow damage or pain with minimal functional impairment. The veteran may have occasional elbow pain but it doesn’t substantially affect the veteran’s work or daily functioning.

20% Rating for Veterans: Veterans receiving 20% for elbow injury have mild to moderate elbow damage affecting the veteran’s functioning. The veteran’s elbow pain impacts activities and the veteran may have some limitation in gripping or lifting affecting the veteran.

30% Rating for Veterans: Veterans at this level have moderate to significant elbow injury with noticeable functional limitation. The veteran’s elbow substantially limits occupational tasks requiring gripping, lifting, or throwing affecting the veteran.

Filing for Elbow Injury Disability Benefits as a Veteran

To file for VA disability benefits for elbow injuries, veterans submit VA Form 21-0960 (Application for Disability Compensation) indicating elbow injury as the claimed condition.

Veterans filing for elbow injuries should include:

• Medical records documenting the veteran’s elbow injury diagnosis
• Surgical records if the veteran had elbow surgery related to the veteran’s injury
• X-rays, MRI, or other imaging showing elbow damage affecting the veteran
• Documentation of elbow treatments received by the veteran
• Information about when and how the veteran injured the veteran’s elbow during service
• Documentation of the veteran’s functional limitations caused by the veteran’s elbow injury
• A personal statement from the veteran describing how the veteran’s elbow injury affects daily functioning and work

Veterans should clearly explain how the veteran believes the veteran’s elbow injury is service-connected.

The Compensation and Pension Exam for Veterans with Elbow Injuries

When veterans file for elbow injury disability, the VA typically schedules a Compensation and Pension exam. During the veteran’s exam, the VA examiner will:

• Perform a thorough elbow examination on the veteran, testing the veteran’s range of motion
• Assess the veteran’s grip strength and ability to perform functional movements
• Review imaging studies and medical records documenting the veteran’s elbow injury
• Ask the veteran detailed questions about the veteran’s elbow pain and functional limitations
• Document the veteran’s occupational and daily functioning affected by the veteran’s elbow injury
• Test for specific elbow pathology affecting the veteran

Veterans should prepare for the veteran’s exam by being prepared to demonstrate functional limitations and describe honestly how the veteran’s elbow affects the veteran’s work and daily life.

Secondary Conditions in Veterans with Elbow Injuries

Veterans should file claims for conditions secondary to their elbow injuries:

Wrist Pain: Compensatory stress from elbow injury causes stress on the veteran’s wrist. Secondary wrist conditions in veterans from elbow injury can receive separate disability rating.

Shoulder Pain: Altered mechanics from elbow injury causes stress on the veteran’s shoulder. Secondary shoulder conditions in veterans from elbow injury can receive separate disability rating.

Hand Weakness: Nerve compression or muscle damage from elbow injury causes weakness in the veteran’s hand. Secondary hand weakness in veterans qualifies for separate rating.

Depression and Anxiety: Veterans with chronic elbow pain may develop depression and anxiety affecting the veteran. Secondary mental health conditions in veterans from chronic elbow pain qualify for separate ratings.

These secondary conditions increase the veteran’s combined disability rating.

Combining Elbow Injuries with Other Veteran Disabilities

Many veterans have elbow injuries combined with other service-connected conditions. For example, a veteran might have a 20% rating for elbow injury and a 30% rating for shoulder injury, plus other disabilities affecting the veteran.

All conditions in veterans combine using the VA’s combined rating formula to determine the veteran’s total disability rating. Use our disability calculator at https://vetvalor.com/va-disability-calculator-2026/ to understand exactly how your elbow injury rating combines with your other service-connected conditions as a veteran. The calculator shows veterans their total combined rating and monthly compensation.

Rating Increases for Veterans with Worsening Elbow Injuries

Veterans whose elbow injuries worsen over time should file for rating increases. Many veterans experience progressive elbow degeneration as they age, developing arthritis or worsening dysfunction in the veteran’s elbow.

Veterans should file for rating increases when:

• The veteran’s elbow pain becomes worse or more frequent
• The veteran’s elbow range of motion decreases
• The veteran’s grip strength or functional capacity decreases
• The veteran requires surgery or more intensive treatment for the veteran’s elbow
• The veteran’s functional limitations from the veteran’s elbow have increased

When filing for a rating increase, veterans should submit updated medical evidence showing the veteran’s worsened elbow condition and current functional impact.

Use our disability calculator at https://vetvalor.com/va-disability-calculator-2026/ to see how an elbow injury rating increase would affect your combined rating and total compensation as a veteran.

Understanding Your Elbow Injury Disability Compensation

A veteran’s elbow injury disability compensation depends on the veteran’s elbow injury rating and any other service-connected conditions the veteran has. Use our disability calculator at https://vetvalor.com/va-disability-calculator-2026/ to determine:

• Your combined rating including elbow injury and other disabilities
• Your monthly compensation based on your disability ratings
• How an elbow injury rating increase would affect your total compensation
• How elbow injuries combine with other service-connected conditions affecting the veteran

The calculator helps veterans understand their total compensation when elbow injuries combine with other disabilities.

Elbow Treatment and Management for Veterans

Veterans with service-connected elbow injuries should establish regular care with VA orthopedic specialists or physical medicine and rehabilitation providers knowledgeable about elbow conditions. The VA offers veterans:

• Orthopedic evaluation and management for elbow injuries affecting the veteran
• Physical therapy to improve the veteran’s elbow function and reduce pain
• Medication management for pain and inflammation in the veteran’s elbow
• Elbow injections or other interventional treatments for some veterans’ elbow conditions
• Surgical options including arthroscopy or reconstruction for appropriate veterans

Veterans should maintain regular VA care both for treatment and to create medical documentation supporting disability ratings and potential rating increase claims.

Occupational Considerations for Veterans with Elbow Injuries

The VA recognizes that significant elbow injuries substantially affect occupational capacity in veterans. Veterans whose elbow injuries prevent them from performing their previous occupation requiring gripping or lifting may need to change careers affecting the veteran.

Veterans with substantial elbow injuries limiting occupational capacity should consider filing for Individual Unemployability (IU). IU provides 100% disability compensation based on occupational inability rather than rating percentage alone.

Appealing Denied Elbow Injury Claims for Veterans

If the VA denies a veteran’s elbow injury claim, the veteran can appeal. Many veterans successfully overturn denials by:

• Submitting additional medical evidence documenting the veteran’s elbow damage
• Obtaining detailed orthopedic statements from healthcare providers supporting the veteran’s elbow disability claim
• Working with a VA-accredited representative who understands elbow injury claims
• Providing detailed functional limitation descriptions in appeals
• Filing additional rating increase claims as the veteran’s condition progresses

Don’t accept a denied elbow injury claim without appeal—many veterans successfully obtain elbow injury disability benefits through persistent appeals.

Conclusion

Elbow injuries are service-connected disabilities affecting many veterans, significantly impacting the veteran’s ability to work and maintain function. Veterans who injured the veteran’s elbow during military service, from combat-related trauma, or from service-related occupational demands deserve disability compensation. If you’re a veteran with an elbow injury, file a disability claim documenting your condition and how the veteran’s elbow injury affects your functioning. File for secondary conditions caused by your elbow injury. Maintain regular VA orthopedic care and document your elbow pain and functional limitations. Use our disability calculator at https://vetvalor.com/va-disability-calculator-2026/ to understand your combined rating and total compensation when elbow injuries combine with other veteran disabilities. As a veteran with service-connected elbow injury, you deserve disability benefits recognizing your condition and compensating you for the functional impact on your veteran life.