A labral tear rarely occurs in complete isolation from other joint findings — it's worth having the whole joint properly assessed rather than treating the labral finding as a standalone issue.
Why Labral Tear Shows Up So Often in Veterans
Trauma from falls, combat training, load-bearing activity through the hip and shoulder, and repetitive high-demand movement all contribute to labral tears in ADF veterans, particularly in roles involving heavy lifting or contact training.
What the Statement of Principles requires
DVA measures every claim against a Statement of Principles (SoP) — a legally binding document setting out the specific factors that can connect a condition to service. Here are the pathways that most often apply to labral tear claims, in plain language.
Trauma to the hip or shoulder joint
Physical trauma to the joint sustained during service activities.
Repetitive loading of the affected joint
Sustained physical demands consistent with the joint-specific loading thresholds for hip or shoulder claims.
This is the plain-English version. Read every factor of the Labral tear Statement of Principles exactly as the Repatriation Medical Authority wrote it.
How DVA Approaches the Impairment Assessment
Assessment considers the joint's range of motion, pain, and any associated instability, alongside imaging findings confirming the tear's location and extent. Because labral tears frequently coexist with other joint pathology, the specialist assessment should address the full clinical picture — instability, secondary cartilage damage, or accompanying rotator cuff involvement in the shoulder, for instance — rather than the labral finding in isolation, since these related findings can each contribute their own impairment component.
The evidence that decides it
Most initial liability decisions currently take DVA somewhere between 3 and 6 months, longer for complex or multi-condition claims. A complete, well-organised submission up front tends to shorten that wait considerably.
- MRI or MR arthrogram confirming the labral tear
- An orthopaedic specialist report addressing the full joint, not the labral finding alone
- Service records establishing the relevant trauma or physical demands
On the PAMT list
Labral Tear is one of the conditions covered by Provisional Access to Medical Treatment, meaning funded treatment could begin before DVA reached a liability decision. This included:
- Orthopaedic specialist consultations
- Physiotherapy
- MRI or MR arthrogram where clinically indicated
Questions veterans ask about Labral Tear
If I have a labral tear and joint instability in the same shoulder, are both claimable?
Yes — they're assessed as related but separate findings, and both should be included.
Related conditions
The same service exposure that causes labral tear often produces related conditions that are separately claimable. It's worth having these assessed at the same time rather than as an afterthought.
Ready to Look Into a Labral Tear Claim?
Book a free consultation and we'll go through whether your circumstances meet the SoP factors, what evidence would strengthen your case, and what to expect next.
This page is general information, not medical, legal, or financial advice. Statement of Principles factors, thresholds, and program details are current as at the update date above but can change — always confirm against your own determination letter and the current SoP instrument. For medical concerns, speak with a qualified health professional; for legal advice, a solicitor experienced in military compensation law.
