Diagnostic Code 8011 · 38 CFR §4.124a
Anterior poliomyelitis (polio) is a viral infection that attacks the motor nerve cells in the spinal cord, potentially causing muscle weakness, paralysis, and atrophy. While polio vaccination has largely eliminated new cases, some veterans who served before widespread vaccination or in areas with endemic polio may have contracted the disease during service. Additionally, many veterans who recovered from childhood polio before entering service now experience post-polio syndrome — a condition where new weakness, fatigue, and pain develop decades after the original infection. Post-polio syndrome is separately claimable if the original polio is service-connected.
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 100% | |
| 60% | |
| 30% | |
| 10% |
Medical records documenting the original polio infection and its course, EMG/nerve conduction studies showing motor neuron damage patterns, Current neurological examination documenting muscle strength, atrophy, and functional limits, Service records if polio was contracted during military service, Records of braces, orthotics, or assistive devices used, If claiming post-polio syndrome: documentation of new symptoms developing decades after the original illness