Impairment · 2005 PDRS Section 2
Shoulder, arm, wrist & hand: PD rating
Shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand and fingers — usually rated on the upper-extremity (UE) scale. These are usually reported on the upper-extremity (UE) scale: UE × 0.6 = WPI (and a hand value × 0.9 = UE first).
WPI → PD rating
Example — a 20% upper-extremity (UE) shoulder impairment: 20 × 0.6 = 12% WPI, then 12 × 1.4 = 17 standard rating (DOI ≥ 2013), before the occupational and age adjustments.
The occupational and age steps and the final dollar figure depend on the specific job and birth date — the calculator computes them exactly.
How arm and shoulder ratings work: physicians usually report these in upper-extremity percent (UE), not whole-person — range of motion, strength, or amputation values under Chapter 16 of the AMA Guides. The schedule converts UE to whole-person impairment at 60% (a 20% UE shoulder is 12% WPI), which is why the WPI in the rating string looks smaller than the report’s headline number. Hand and finger values convert up through the hand-to-UE chain first. From WPI the standard pipeline runs: the 1.4 adjustment, occupational variant — where heavy-labor groups move shoulder ratings the most — and the age modifier.
Impairments in this system · 42
Arm
Arm - Amputation/Deltoid insertion proximallyArm - Amputation/Bicipital insertion proximallyArm - Amputation/Wrist proximallyArm - Amputation/All fingers at MP joint proximallyArm - Peripheral neuropathy - Brachial plexusArm - Entrapment/compression - Carpal tunnelArm - Entrapment/compression - OtherArm - Peripheral neuropathy - CRPS IArm - Peripheral neuropathy - CRPS IIArm - Peripheral vascularArm - Grip/pinch strengthArm - Other
Shoulder
Shoulder - Range of motionShoulder - Other
Elbow
Elbow/forearm - Range of motionElbow/forearm - Other
Wrist
Wrist - Range of motionWrist - Other
Hand
Hand/multiple fingers - Range of motionHand/multiple fingers - AmputationHand/multiple fingers - SensoryHand/multiple fingers - Other
Thumb
Thumb - Range of motionThumb - AmputationThumb - SensoryThumb - Other
Index
Index - Range of motionIndex - AmputationIndex - SensoryIndex - Other
Middle
Middle - Range of motionMiddle - AmputationMiddle - SensoryMiddle - Other
Ring
Ring - Range of motionRing - AmputationRing - SensoryRing - Other
Little
Little - Range of motionLittle - AmputationLittle - SensoryLittle - Other
Upper extremities rating FAQ
How is a shoulder, arm, wrist & hand injury rated for permanent disability in California?
These are usually reported on the upper-extremity (UE) scale: UE × 0.6 = WPI (and a hand value × 0.9 = UE first). The WPI is multiplied by 1.4 to get the standard rating (dates of injury on or after 2013 under SB 863), then adjusted for the worker’s occupation and age, apportioned under Lab. Code §4663, and combined with any other impairments. Example — a 20% upper-extremity (UE) shoulder impairment: 20 × 0.6 = 12% WPI, then 12 × 1.4 = 17 standard rating (DOI ≥ 2013), before the occupational and age adjustments.
What body parts are in the Shoulder, arm, wrist & hand section of the PDRS?
The 2005 PDRS lists 42 impairments here, covering Arm, Shoulder, Elbow, Wrist, Hand, Thumb, Index, Middle, Ring, Little. Shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand and fingers — usually rated on the upper-extremity (UE) scale.
Does the occupation change a shoulder, arm, wrist & hand rating?
Yes — after the ×1.4 step, the occupational group applies a variant that raises or lowers the standard rating. See the occupation pages for how each group treats this region.
Is this a legal PD rating?
No — it’s an estimate for informational use. Confirm every rating against the DEU. RateString rates strict AMA Guides 5th-edition values under the 2005 PDRS.
What a shoulder rating pays
This impairment at 10% WPI across three occupations — the variant does the moving:
Computed live by the rating engine — 10% WPI, age 42–46, single impairment, no apportionment, dollars at the 2026 maximum PD rate. Run any combination in the calculator.
Rate this impairment — free
Enter the WPI, occupation, and age — get a defensible PD rating and indemnity in under a minute.