SSA Listing 1.00

Musculoskeletal Disorders: Social Security Disability Listings

Can You Get Disability for a Musculoskeletal Disorder?

Yes. A musculoskeletal disorders disability claim can be approved when your back, joint, bone or limb condition meets one of SSA's 1.00 listings, or when it limits you so much that you can't do your past work or adjust to other work. Most 1.00 listings require medical proof that you need a walker, two canes, two crutches or a wheelchair, or that you can't use one or both arms for work tasks. See who qualifies for Social Security disability for the full rules.

Reviewed by Michael Rupe ·October 1, 2026

An older man in a coat and cap walks with a cane along a red path in a city park — Photo: Muhammed Hanefi / Pexels

How SSA’s Musculoskeletal Listings Work

A musculoskeletal disorders disability claim is judged against section 1.00 of SSA’s Listing of Impairments, often called the Blue Book. The listings describe conditions SSA considers severe enough to prevent any gainful activity. If your records match a listing and the condition has lasted or is expected to last at least 12 months, SSA finds you disabled at step three without weighing your age, education or work history.

Section 1.00 covers the spine, the arms and legs, amputations, fractures, and soft tissue injuries such as burns that need ongoing surgery. Two things are judged elsewhere. Spinal cord damage goes under the neurological listings in 11.00, and inflammatory arthritis goes under the immune system listings in 14.00.

Each listing is a set of findings joined by “and” or “or.” Read them like a checklist. For listing 1.15, for example, you need parts A, B, C and D. Missing one part means the listing isn’t met, though SSA may still find your condition “medically equals” it.

The Mobility and Arm-Use Test Behind Most 1.00 Listings

Most of the 1.00 listings share one functional requirement. Your records must show at least one of these, lasting or expected to last 12 months:

A documented medical need for a walker, two canes, two crutches, or a wheelchair or scooter you operate with both hands.
You can’t use one arm for work tasks, and you need a one-handed device, like a single cane, that ties up your other hand.
You can’t use either arm to start, keep up and finish work tasks that involve fine and gross movements.

“Documented medical need” means a medical source supports why you need the device. A cane you picked up at a pharmacy, with nothing in your chart about it, usually won’t count. Ask your doctor to record the device and the reason in your notes.

What SSA Looks for in the Most Common Listings

Listing	What SSA looks for, in plain words
1.15 Spine with nerve root compromise	Pain, tingling or muscle fatigue that follows a nerve’s path; weakness plus nerve irritation signs and sensory or reflex changes on exam; imaging of the neck or lower back that shows the pinched nerve; and the mobility or arm-use test
1.16 Lumbar spinal stenosis (cauda equina)	Leg pain, numbness or leg pain from walking (neurogenic claudication) not tied to one nerve root; weakness and sensory or reflex changes; imaging or surgery findings; and the mobility test
1.17 Joint reconstruction or fusion	Surgery to rebuild or fuse a hip, knee or ankle, plus a documented need for a walker, two canes, two crutches or a two-handed wheelchair
1.18 Major joint abnormality	Chronic joint pain or stiffness, abnormal or lost motion, damage seen on exam or imaging, and the mobility or arm-use test
1.19 Pathologic fractures	Fractures from a disease process on three separate occasions within 12 months, plus the mobility or arm-use test
1.20 Amputation	Both arms at or above the wrists; hip disarticulation; one arm and one leg; or a leg amputation where problems with the remaining limb keep you from using a prosthesis

SSA’s listing 1.21 adds soft tissue injuries, including burns, under surgical management that has lasted or is expected to last at least 12 months. Listings 1.22 and 1.23 cover leg, pelvis and arm fractures that don’t heal or are complex.

The Medical Evidence SSA Asks for

The 1.00 introduction says SSA needs objective medical evidence from an acceptable medical source to establish your disorder. It also wants evidence from medical and nonmedical sources who can describe how you function.

Your own description of your pain matters, but it can’t replace a clinician’s exam findings. Helpful records include:

Exam notes describing strength, reflexes, sensation and range of motion.
Imaging reports, such as MRI or x-ray.
Operative reports for any surgery.
Physical therapy notes showing how you respond.
Notes about any assistive device and why you need it.

SSA generally wants a longitudinal record, meaning months of treatment notes. Musculoskeletal conditions often improve or respond to treatment, and a record over time shows whether yours is getting better, worse or staying the same. Gather your records before you start the steps in how to apply for disability.

SSA's Musculoskeletal Disorders Listings (1.00)

SSA listings in section 1.00
Listing	Name
1.15	Disorders of the skeletal spine resulting in compromise of a nerve root(s)
1.16	Lumbar spinal stenosis resulting in compromise of the cauda equina
1.17	Reconstructive surgery or surgical arthrodesis of a major weight-bearing joint
1.18	Abnormality of a major joint(s) in any extremity
1.19	Pathologic fractures due to any cause
1.20	Amputation due to any cause
1.21	Soft tissue injury or abnormality under continuing surgical management
1.22	Non-healing or complex fracture of the femur, tibia, pelvis, or one or more of the talocrural bones
1.23	Non-healing or complex fracture of an upper extremity

For children, SSA uses section 101.00 (Musculoskeletal Disorders), with 10 listings. See childhood conditions.

From SSA's Listing of Impairments (ssa.gov), checked October 2, 2026.

If Your Condition Doesn’t Meet a Listing

Missing a listing isn’t the end of a back or joint claim. SSA’s own overview says not meeting a listing simply moves the adjudicator to the next step.

SSA follows a five-step order:

Are you working above substantial gainful activity? In 2026 that’s $1,690 a month for most people.
Is your condition severe, and has it lasted or will it last 12 months?
Does it meet or equal a listing?
Given your residual functional capacity, can you still do your past work?
Considering that capacity with your age, education and work experience, can you adjust to other work?

Residual functional capacity, or RFC, is SSA’s finding about the most you can still do: how long you can sit, stand and walk, how much you can lift, and whether you can reach, handle and grip. For back and joint conditions the RFC often decides the case. Detailed notes on how far you can walk, how long you can sit and what you drop or can’t grip feed directly into it.

If you’re denied, you have 60 days to appeal. The steps are on how to appeal a disability denial.

Compassionate Allowances and Fast-Track Conditions

Compassionate Allowances (CAL) flag conditions that, by definition, meet SSA’s disability standard, so claims move faster. Most bone and joint conditions aren’t on the list. A few rare bone disorders are, including Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva, Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) - Type II and Thanatophoric Dysplasia - Type 1. SSA uses the same CAL rules for SSDI and SSI claims.

The Childhood Version: Listing 101.00

Children under 18 applying for SSI are evaluated first under Part B, the childhood listings. Section 101.00 mirrors the adult spine, joint, fracture and amputation listings. It adds listing 101.24 for infants and toddlers, from birth to age 3, who have a musculoskeletal disorder with developmental motor delay. If no Part B listing applies, SSA uses the adult criteria. Read more on SSI for children with disabilities and the childhood conditions overview.

Workplace Accommodations That Help With Back and Limb Conditions

If you want to keep working, the ADA may entitle you to reasonable accommodations. The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) lists ideas by limitation.

For back impairments, JAN suggests:

Carts and ergonomic equipment for carrying.
A flexible schedule and periodic rest breaks for fatigue.
Adjustable office chairs and lumbar cushions for sitting.
Anti-fatigue matting and stand aids for standing.
Scooters, walkers or telework when walking is the problem.

For amputation, JAN lists:

One-handed keyboards and other input devices.
Sit/stand workstations.
Hand controls for vehicles.

Workplace accommodations under the ADA explains how to ask.

Pain and limits from other body systems often overlap with joint problems. See the pages on neurological disorders for spinal cord injury and the immune system disorders page for inflammatory arthritis. To check the work and income rules before you apply, try the disability eligibility screener, or browse every body system on the conditions SSA lists page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Degenerative Disc Disease Count as a Disability?

SSA doesn't approve claims by diagnosis name. A spine condition is judged under listing 1.15 or 1.16 when it compresses a nerve root or the cauda equina, and the imaging, exam findings and functional limits all have to match. If it doesn't meet a listing, SSA still looks at what you can do day to day.

Do I Need a Prescription for My Cane or Walker?

SSA's 1.00 rules ask for a 'documented medical need,' meaning evidence from a medical source that supports your need for the device. Using a cane you bought yourself, with nothing in your records about why, usually won't satisfy the listing.

What if I Have Arthritis in Several Joints?

Osteoarthritis and other joint damage fall under listing 1.18. Inflammatory arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, is evaluated under the immune system listings in 14.00 instead. SSA considers all of your conditions together.

Is Surgery Required Before I Can Apply?

No. You can apply while you are still in treatment. SSA looks at your response to treatment, and listing 1.21 covers soft tissue injuries, including burns, that are under continuing surgical management expected to last at least 12 months.

Can I Work Part Time and Still Qualify?

Possibly. In 2026, earning more than $1,690 a month generally counts as substantial gainful activity, which ends the claim at step one. Earnings under that level don't stop SSA from evaluating your condition.

Other Body Systems in SSA's Listings

This page explains SSA's published rules. It isn't medical or legal advice; SSA decides each claim from your records.