What can I claim secondary to osteomyelitis?
5 conditions in the Repatriation Medical Authority's Statements of Principles list osteomyelitis as a factor. If DVA has accepted your osteomyelitis, each of these has a documented pathway to a further claim.
At a glance
- Accepted conditionOsteomyelitis
- Conditions it may open5
- SourceRMA SoPs
- Chart Review$600 + GST
How a secondary claim works
Some Statement of Principles factors are not about service at all — they name another condition. Where DVA has already accepted your osteomyelitis, and another condition's SoP lists osteomyelitis as a factor, that part of the next claim is already established on your file. How a secondary claim works, in full →
Conditions that list osteomyelitis 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.
Malignant neoplasm of bone and articular cartilage
RH No. 66 of 2020 · BoP No. 67 of 2020
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (4): “having chronic osteomyelitis at the affected site before the clinical onset of malignant neoplasm of bone or articular cartilage” [clinical onset]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (3): “having chronic osteomyelitis at the affected site before the clinical onset of malignant neoplasm of bone or articular cartilage” [clinical onset]
Non-melanoma malignant neoplasm of the skin
RH No. 78 of 2024 · BoP No. 79 of 2024
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (24): “having chronic osteomyelitis with a sinus tract draining to the affected skin site at least 2 years before clinical onset” [clinical onset]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (17): “having chronic osteomyelitis with a sinus tract draining to the affected skin site at least 5 years before clinical onset of squamous cell carcinoma” [clinical onset]
Note: sinus tract is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
Osteonecrosis
RH No. 13 of 2020 · BoP No. 14 of 2020
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (15): “having osteomyelitis at the affected site at the time of the clinical onset of osteonecrosis” [clinical onset]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (14): “having osteomyelitis at the affected site at the time of the clinical onset of osteonecrosis” [clinical onset]
Pathological fracture
RH No. 64 of 2024 · BoP No. 65 of 2024
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (1): “having one of the following medical conditions involving the affected region of bone at the time of clinical onset: (a) benign neoplasm; (b) malignant primary or secondary neoplasm; (c) osteomalacia; (d) osteomyelitis; (e) osteonecrosis; (f) osteoporosis; or (g) Paget disease of bone” [clinical onset]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (1): “having one of the following medical conditions involving the affected region of bone at the time of clinical onset: (a) benign neoplasm; (b) malignant primary or secondary neoplasm; (c) osteomalacia; (d) osteomyelitis; (e) osteonecrosis; (f) osteoporosis; or (g) Paget disease of bone” [clinical onset]
Note: osteomalacia and osteonecrosis are defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
Soft tissue sarcoma
RH No. 76 of 2023 · BoP No. 77 of 2023
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (20): “having chronic osteomyelitis at the affected site at least 15 years before the clinical onset of soft tissue sarcoma” [clinical onset]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Other accepted conditions that also open malignant neoplasm of bone and articular cartilage
If any of these is also on your file, it reaches some of the same conditions osteomyelitis does.
What DVA means by osteomyelitis
A claim is tested against the definition first. If the diagnosis on your file does not meet this wording, the factors below never get reached — so it is worth checking that what your doctor wrote matches what the instrument requires.
Osteomyelitis, for the purposes of the Statement of Principles, for the purposes of this Statement of Principles, osteomyelitis: (a) means inflammation of bone caused by infection; and (b) excludes chondritis, septic arthritis and discitis.
Note the exclusion. This instrument expressly excludes chondritis, septic arthritis and discitis. A diagnosis of that is not a diagnosis of osteomyelitis, and a claim framed the wrong way fails on the definition before any factor is considered.
RH No. 23 of 2024 · BoP No. 24 of 2024 · 11 factors
What could support a claim for osteomyelitis?
The Statement of Principles for osteomyelitis names 3 other conditions among its own factors. If any of these is already accepted on your file, it may be the factor that carries a osteomyelitis claim — quoted here from the instrument.
Diabetes mellitus
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (5): “having diabetes mellitus at the time of the clinical onset or clinical worsening of osteomyelitis” [onset and worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (5): “having diabetes mellitus at the time of the clinical onset or clinical worsening of osteomyelitis” [onset and worsening]
Cirrhosis of the liver
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (6): “having one of the following chronic medical conditions before the clinical onset or clinical worsening of osteomyelitis: (a) chronic renal failure; (b) cirrhosis of the liver; (c) Crohn disease; or (d) sickle cell disorder” [onset and worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (6): “having one of the following chronic medical conditions before the clinical onset or clinical worsening of osteomyelitis: (a) chronic renal failure; (b) cirrhosis of the liver; (c) Crohn disease; or (d) sickle cell disorder” [onset and worsening]
Osteonecrosis
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (10): “having osteonecrosis at the site of osteomyelitis before the clinical onset of osteomyelitis” [clinical onset]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (10): “having osteonecrosis at the site of osteomyelitis before the clinical onset of osteomyelitis” [clinical onset]
Reviewed by Dr Thomas Perkins
Founding doctor, Veterans Health Centre · former RAAF aviation medical officer · 13 years working exclusively with ADF members and veterans. Full profile →
Osteomyelitis accepted?
Contact us for more information.