Listing 1.23 · Musculoskeletal disorders

Non-healing or complex fracture of an upper extremity

To be approved under this listing, a claim must meet all of the criteria below — and the medical records have to prove it.

  1. A

    Non-healing or complex fracture of the shaft of the humerus, radius, or ulna under continuing surgical management.

    In plain terms: Have you had a fracture in your upper arm or forearm that is not healing right and is still under surgical care?

    Evidence required:X-rayTreating physician report
  2. B

    Inability to use the upper extremities for fine and gross movement effectively, lasting or expected to last 12 months.

    In plain terms: Has the injury left you unable to use both arms together for everyday tasks — buttoning, lifting, carrying — for at least a year?

    Evidence required:RFC (residual functional capacity) assessment
Read the official SSA text for Listing 1.23

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Estimate the odds

Historical approval rates for a claim like this — by state, age, and stage.

Approval odds by condition

How claims for this body system fare through the process.

Other musculoskeletal disorders listings

Disorders of the spine (legacy listing — replaced by 1.15-1.16 in 2021)Disorders of the skeletal spine resulting in compromise of a nerve root(s)Lumbar spinal stenosis resulting in compromise of the cauda equinaReconstructive surgery or surgical arthrodesis of a major weight-bearing jointAbnormality of a major joint(s) in any extremityPathologic fractures due to any causeAmputation due to any causeSoft-tissue injury or abnormality under continuing surgical managementNon-healing or complex fracture of the femur, tibia, pelvis, or one or more vertebrae

Source: SSA Listing of Impairments (Blue Book), 20 CFR Part 404, Subpart P, Appendix 1 · Updated 2026-06-18. Criteria paraphrased for readability; see the official SSA text linked above. Not legal or medical advice — whether a specific medical record meets Listing 1.23 is an individualized judgment SSA makes on the evidence.