What can I claim secondary to joint instability?
4 conditions in the Repatriation Medical Authority's Statements of Principles list joint instability as a factor. If DVA has accepted your joint instability, each of these has a documented pathway to a further claim.
At a glance
- Accepted conditionJoint instability
- Conditions it may open4
- SourceRMA SoPs
- Chart Review$600 + GST
How a secondary claim works
Every DVA claim is decided against a Statement of Principles — the legislative instrument listing the only factors capable of connecting a condition to service. Some of those factors are not about service at all: they name another condition. Where DVA has already accepted your joint instability, and another condition's SoP lists joint instability as a factor, the hardest part of the next claim is already done — the condition is established, dated and on your file. You still need a diagnosis of the new condition, and the factor still has to be met on your evidence, including any threshold of time or severity written into it. But the pathway exists in the legislation rather than in an argument.
Conditions that list joint instability as a factor
Quoted from the instrument. A pathway existing is not the same as a claim succeeding — each factor carries thresholds your record has to satisfy.
Achilles tendinopathy
Listed factor: “having one or more of the following conditions involving the affected lower limb at the time of clinical onset or clinical worsening: (a) pes planus; (b) pes cavus; (c) decreased ankle or forefoot flexibility; (d) forefoot varus; (e) lateral ankle joint ins…”
Osteoarthritis
Listed factor: “having joint instability or dislocation of the affected joint, at least one year before the clinical onset of osteoarthritis in that joint”
Pes planus
Listed factor: “having a dislocation of a joint or subluxation of a joint or joint instability involving one or more tarsal or metatarsal bones of the medial longitudinal arch of the affected foot before the clinical onset of pes planus”
Rotator cuff syndrome
Listed factor: “having joint instability of the affected shoulder, or dislocation or subluxation of the affected shoulder joint before the clinical onset of rotator cuff syndrome”
What else opens further claims
- Conditions secondary to diabetes mellitus
- Conditions secondary to hypertension
- Conditions secondary to moderate to severe traumatic brain injury
- Conditions secondary to alcohol use disorder
- Conditions secondary to cirrhosis of the liver
- Conditions secondary to hepatitis c
- Conditions secondary to depressive disorder
- Conditions secondary to sarcoidosis
- Check every condition you have accepted →
Frequently asked questions
Does this mean I will be accepted for these conditions?
No. It means the legislation contains a pathway. The factor still has to be met on your evidence, and the new condition still has to be diagnosed by a qualified practitioner.
Do I need a new diagnosis for each one?
Yes. DVA cannot accept liability for a condition that has not been diagnosed. If something here matches symptoms you have been living with, that is the conversation to have with a doctor.
Is this the same as an aggravation claim?
No. Aggravation is where service worsened a condition you already had. A sequela is a separate condition arising from one already accepted, claimed in its own right with its own SoP.
Where does this information come from?
The Repatriation Medical Authority Statements of Principles, as held in our SoP Library. We index the factor text of all 357 instruments. SoPs are amended regularly — confirm the current instrument before relying on it.
What should I do next?
Have your record read against these pathways. A chart review establishes which are actually provable, with the page reference behind each one.
Dr Thomas Perkins
The expert in veterans’ medicolegal medicine — Expert DVA Doctor.
Dr Thomas Perkins is the founding doctor at the Veterans Health Centre in Ipswich, Queensland, and the leading expert in veterans’ medicolegal work in Australia. He has spent over 13 years working exclusively with current and former Australian Defence Force members — treating conditions, writing reports, and navigating the DVA system alongside them.
With 100,000+ DVA claims submitted and over 2,000 Permanent Impairment Assessments completed, Dr Perkins brings a depth of experience that simply cannot be replicated from a textbook. He understands the Statements of Principles, the GARP tables, the imaging that proves what a physical examination alone cannot — and the difference that a properly written report makes at every level, from initial liability through to the VRB.
Every chart review, every diagnostic assessment, and every impairment rating is personally overseen by Dr Perkins. If you’re looking for a doctor who knows veterans medicine inside and out, you’ve found the right clinic.
Contact us0429 146 039 reception@vhc.org.au
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