Listing 1.21 · Musculoskeletal disorders

Soft-tissue injury or abnormality under continuing surgical management

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

    Soft-tissue injury or abnormality under continuing surgical management directed toward restoration of major function.

    In plain terms: Have you had a serious soft-tissue injury — burns, crush injury, or major wound — that's still under active surgical care?

    Evidence required:Hospitalization recordTreating physician report
  2. B

    Surgical management has continued or is expected to continue for at least 12 months.

    In plain terms: Has the surgical care been going on for at least a year — or is your doctor expecting it to continue that long?

    Evidence required:Treating physician report
  3. C

    Inability to ambulate effectively or to use the affected extremity for fine/gross movement effectively.

    In plain terms: Has the injury left you unable to walk well, or unable to use the affected arm or leg normally?

    Evidence required:RFC (residual functional capacity) assessmentTreating physician report
Read the official SSA text for Listing 1.21

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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 causeNon-healing or complex fracture of the femur, tibia, pelvis, or one or more vertebraeNon-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 1.21 is an individualized judgment SSA makes on the evidence.