Listing code
1.19
Adult (Part A)
Body system
1.00
Musculoskeletal disorders
Subsections
2
Lettered criteria paths
Step in evaluation
3 of 5
Listing match approves the claim
SSA listing text and criteria
Pathologic fractures due to any cause (see 1.00J ), documented by A and B:
Subsection A
Pathologic fractures occurring on three separate occasions within a 12-month period. AND
Subsection B
Impairment-related physical limitation of musculoskeletal functioning that has lasted, or is expected to last, for a continuous period of at least 12 months, and medical documentation of at least one of the following: 1. A documented medical need (see 1.00C6a ) for a walker, bilateral canes, or bilateral crutches (see 1.00C6d ) or a wheeled and seated mobility device involving the use of both hands (see 1.00C6e(i) ); or 2. An inability to use one upper extremity to independently initiate, sustain, and complete work-related activities involving fine and gross movements (see 1.00E4 ), and a documented medical need (see 1.00C6a ) for a one-handed, hand-held assistive device (see 1.00C6d ) that requires the use of the other upper extremity or a wheeled and seated mobility device involving the use of one hand (see 1.00C6e(ii) ); or 3. An inability to use both upper extremities to the extent that neither can be used to independently initiate, sustain, and complete work-related activities involving fine and gross movements (see 1.00E4 ).
- A documented medical need (see 1.00C6a ) for a walker, bilateral canes, or bilateral crutches (see 1.00C6d ) or a wheeled and seated mobility device involving the use of both hands (see 1.00C6e(i) ); or
- An inability to use one upper extremity to independently initiate, sustain, and complete work-related activities involving fine and gross movements (see 1.00E4 ), and a documented medical need (see 1.00C6a ) for a one-handed, hand-held assistive device (see 1.00C6d ) that requires the use of the other upper extremity or a wheeled and seated mobility device involving the use of one hand (see 1.00C6e(ii) ); or
- An inability to use both upper extremities to the extent that neither can be used to independently initiate, sustain, and complete work-related activities involving fine and gross movements (see 1.00E4 ).
Source: SSA Blue Book listing 1.19. Last synced 2026-05-04.
Where claims under 1.19 usually fail
One pitfall is having fewer than three separate pathologic fracture occurrences within a 12-month period, because Subsection A is strict on timing and count. Another pitfall is meeting the fracture history but missing Subsection B, which requires an impairment-related physical limitation lasting (or expected to last) at least 12 months plus documentation tied to one of the three listed B items. A third pitfall is documentation of an assistive device without the listing-specific link: the device must be a walker, bilateral canes, bilateral crutches, or a wheeled and seated mobility device involving both hands (for B1), or a one-handed hand-held assistive device with the specific "requires the use of the other upper extremity" or the one-hand wheeled device setup (for B2). A fourth pitfall is describing pain or general weakness without the required upper-extremity functional limitation wording tied to fine and gross movements (B2 and B3).
Medical evidence that strengthens this claim
Medical documentation needs to support both the fracture pattern and the lasting limitation. For Subsection A, documentation must show pathologic fractures occurring on three separate occasions within a 12-month period. For Subsection B, documentation must support at least a continuous 12-month period of impairment-related physical limitation of musculoskeletal functioning, and it must include at least one of the following: a documented medical need for a walker, bilateral canes, bilateral crutches, or a wheeled and seated mobility device involving the use of both hands; or an inability to use one upper extremity to independently initiate, sustain, and complete work-related activities involving fine and gross movements along with a documented medical need for a one-handed hand-held assistive device that requires the use of the other upper extremity or a wheeled and seated mobility device involving one hand; or an inability to use both upper extremities such that neither can independently initiate, sustain, and complete work-related activities involving fine and gross movements.
What happens if your records do not meet this listing
If Subsection A is not met (for example, fewer than three pathologic fractures within a 12-month period), the listing is not met. If Subsection A is met but Subsection B is not met (for example, the documentation does not show at least 12 months of impairment-related limitation or does not fit one of the three B items), the listing is also not met. In many claims, the next step uses a residual functional capacity idea to see what work activities can still be done despite the impairments, and that can still lead to approval even when the exact listing thresholds are not satisfied.
Work activity and the SGA gate for this condition
For SSDI, eligibility depends on whether substantial work activity is being done in the first place, so work capacity matters from the start of an application. This listing focuses on pathologic fractures plus at least 12 months of physical limitation documented through specific mobility device needs or upper-extremity functional limits involving fine and gross movements. If approved under 1.19, SGA rules still apply after approval: work can affect continued eligibility under the standard SSA work activity rules, while the trial work period and any extended period of eligibility apply after the approval.
Listing 1.19 FAQ
Questions that come up repeatedly for pathologic fractures due to any cause disability claims.