Listing 1.22 · Musculoskeletal disorders

Non-healing or complex fracture of the femur, tibia, pelvis, or one or more vertebrae

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 femur, tibia, pelvis, or one or more talocalcaneal, tarsometatarsal, or thoracolumbar vertebral bones.

    In plain terms: Have you had a fracture in your hip, thigh, shin, pelvis, or spine that is not healing properly — or a complex fracture that needed multiple surgeries?

    Evidence required:X-rayHospitalization recordTreating physician report
  2. B

    Inability to ambulate effectively (need for walker, bilateral canes, bilateral crutches, or wheelchair, OR inability to walk a block at a reasonable pace on rough surfaces).

    In plain terms: Has the fracture left you unable to walk well — needing a walker, two canes, or a wheelchair?

    Evidence required:Treating physician reportRFC (residual functional capacity) assessment
Read the official SSA text for Listing 1.22

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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 an upper extremity

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 1.22 is an individualized judgment SSA makes on the evidence.