Scars on the body that involve damage to muscles, nerves, or other tissues beneath the skin.
The key evidence for this condition is documentation of the total surface area of scarring and confirmation that the scar tissue involves underlying soft tissue damage. A VA or private medical examination that measures scar dimensions in square inches or square centimeters directly supports the area thresholds that separate each rating level. Photographs taken alongside a measuring tool can help confirm size. Surgical records, wound-care notes, and pathology or imaging reports that describe involvement of deeper tissue layers show that the scars qualify under this diagnostic code rather than a code for surface-only scars.
If your scars cover more than one body zone, records that identify which zones are affected help VA determine whether separate ratings apply. Your own written statement describing how the scarring limits movement, causes pain, or affects your ability to work and perform daily tasks can also support the overall picture, particularly when it reflects the extent of tissue involved across different parts of your body.
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.
