Injury to muscles that straighten the hip and bend the knee.
Because the rating levels for this condition are defined by the shared muscle injury criteria in 38 CFR § 4.56, the evidence that matters most is whatever shows how severely the hamstring muscles are damaged and how that affects function. Medical records documenting the original wound or injury, surgical reports, and imaging results can show the extent of tissue damage. Physical examination findings — such as measured weakness in hip extension or knee flexion, reduced range of motion, atrophy, or scarring — help place the injury at a specific level of severity.
Statements from you or people who know you that describe difficulty with activities requiring these muscles — walking, climbing stairs, rising from a seated position, or sustained standing — can support the medical picture. If your injury has affected your ability to work or carry out daily tasks, records or statements describing those limitations are also relevant. Any evidence of loss of use of the affected leg would be especially significant, as it may open the door to a separate special monthly compensation review.
Conditions that are often caused or made worse by this one. If you have any of these, they may be claimable as secondary service connection.
