Human Body Organ Systems

When you think about disability, you probably think in terms of the limitations you face due to your medical condition. Both the Veterans Administration (VA) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) look at disability a bit more clinically. Among other things, that means they break out disabilities into categories based on the Human Body Organ Systems.

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What are the Human Body Organ Systems?

Technically, there are 11 organ systems in the human body. Both the VA and the SSA combine some organ systems and break others out into sub-categories, so you’ll see listings with different numbers of categories. The 11 systems are:

Integumentary: This system is made up of skin, hair, nails and glands. It functions to create a barrier protecting your body, and also performs regulatory functions like temperature regulation.
Skeletal: The skeletal system is the body’s structural system, and includes bones, cartilage and connective tissue.
Muscular: Muscles produce movement, stabilize joints, and retain body position. Often, this group of organs is combined with the skeletal system under a single category described as “musculoskeletal.”
Nervous: The nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, and serves to carry messages between the brain and other parts of the body.
Endocrine: The endocrine system is made up primarily of glands, and serves to produce and release hormones.
Cardiovascular: Also known as the circulatory system, the cardiovascular system carries blood throughout the body to deliver oxygen and nutrients and clear waste from the body.
Lymphatic: The lymphatic system includes lymph nodes, the spleen, the thymus and other glands and organs that move a clear fluid through the body to deliver nutrients and proteins, clear debris and support the immune system.
Respiratory: The respiratory system is made up of the lungs, nose, mouth, airways, larynx and pharynx. The main function of the respiratory system is to take in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide.
Digestive: The digestive system absorbs food and transforms it into energy and nutrients. The digestive system includes the stomach, intestines, bile duct and pancreas.
Urinary: The urinary system removes toxins from the body through urine, and includes the kidneys, bladder, ureter and urethra.
Reproductive: The reproductive system includes sexual and reproductive organs, such as the vagina,uterus and ovaries in a woman and the penis and testes in a male.

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Organ Systems and Your VA Disability Claim

The VA makes most disability determinations based on the Schedule for Rating Disabilities.

There are general schedules for several high-level categories. Some of these categories correspond to a single organ system and others do not. They include:

The musculoskeletal system – primarily addressing limitations in strength and mobility due to injuries or medical conditions impacting the muscles and bones
Organs of special sense – this category covers only the eyes and vision issues; hearing and other sensory issues have their own categories
Impairment of auditory acuity – hearing loss and other conditions of the ear such as tinnitus; impairment of other senses are also covered in this section, though compensation is minimal
Infectious diseases, immune disorders, and nutritional deficiencies – a complex category covering illnesses and chronic conditions, some of which are rated under a general formula and others of which have their own schedules
The respiratory system – includes the lungs and airways, but in some cases also the nose, mouth and throat
The cardiovascular system – covers disorders of or damage to the heart and blood vessels
The digestive system – may involve anything from the intestines and pancreas to oral injuries that interfere with eating
The genitourinary system – damage to or disorders impacting the urinary tract, bladder, kidneys and other organs that contribute to filtering and removing waste from the body
Gynecological conditions and disorders of the breast – mainly injuries to or cancers of these areas of the body, or endometriosis
Hematological and lymphatic systems – these two separate systems are combined for purposes of VA disability ratings, as they work together to support immune response
The skin – addresses burns and scars, as well as rashes, lesions and other skin problems associated with service-connected illness or toxic exposure
The endocrine system – glandular systems that create and release hormones and regular body systems
Neurological conditions and convulsive disorders – conditions involving impairment of motor function, sensory function, and mental function which may include conditions like epilepsy or the impact of an injury such as a TBI
Mental disorders – service-connected mental health conditions, the most common of which is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Dental and oral conditions – this category frequently overlaps with others, such as respiratory or digestive

Note that some conditions that would appear at first glance to belong in one category are actually evaluated under another. For example, some conditions of the mouth are assessed as sensory issues (such as loss of the sense of taste), while others may be part of a larger condition impacting the digestive or respiratory system.

In addition, many individual conditions or sub-groups of conditions have their own rating schedules. For example, within the musculoskeletal category, there are separate sections for:

Acute, subacute, or chronic conditions
Prosthetic implants and resurfacing
Amputation of upper extremities
Amputation of lower extremities
Shoulder and arm
Elbow and forearm
Wrist
Ankylosis or limitation of motion of single or multiple digits of the hand
Spine
Hip and thigh
Knee and leg
Ankle
Shortening of lower extremities
Foot
Skull
Ribs
Coccyx

Most of these subcategories contain multiple rating schedules for more specific conditions or types conditions. And, there’s a whole separate section for muscle injuries. Within these subcategories, too, there are overlaps. For example, some disabilities of the shoulder and/or arm will fall within that classification in the musculoskeletal section. But, an amputation in that part of the body will be rated according to the amputation of upper extremities criteria, and a muscle injury in the arm or shoulder will be considered under the separate section for injuries to muscles.

The bottom line is that determining how your disability will be assessed for a VA disability rating can be complicated–even when there’s only a single injury or medical condition involved. The situation gets even more complex when two or more conditions are involved. Fortunately, you don’t have to sort it out alone.

Disabled Vets Can Help

The experienced VA disability benefits advocates at Disabled Vets have developed a deep familiarity with the VA disabling rating schedules so you don’t have to. Whether you’re just preparing to file a VA disability claim, need to appeal a denial, or have received a disability rating you think is too low, we have the knowledge and experience you need. To learn more about how we can help, call 888-373-4722 or fill out our contact form.

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Learn More Below

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