What can I claim secondary to spinal adhesive arachnoiditis?
1 condition in the Repatriation Medical Authority's Statements of Principles list spinal adhesive arachnoiditis as a factor. If DVA has accepted your spinal adhesive arachnoiditis, each of these has a documented pathway to a further claim.
At a glance
- Accepted conditionSpinal adhesive arachnoiditis
- Conditions it may open1
- 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 spinal adhesive arachnoiditis, and another condition's SoP lists spinal adhesive arachnoiditis 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 spinal adhesive arachnoiditis 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.
Arachnoid cyst
RH No. 11 of 2025 · BoP No. 12 of 2025
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (14): “having spinal adhesive arachnoiditis before clinical onset or clinical worsening of spinal arachnoid cyst” [onset and worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (11): “having spinal adhesive arachnoiditis before clinical onset or clinical worsening of spinal arachnoid cyst” [onset and worsening]
Other accepted conditions that also open arachnoid cyst
If any of these is also on your file, it reaches some of the same conditions spinal adhesive arachnoiditis does.
What DVA means by spinal adhesive arachnoiditis
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.
Spinal adhesive arachnoiditis, for the purposes of the Statement of Principles, for the purposes of this Statement of Principles, spinal adhesive arachnoiditis: (a) means: (i) chronic inflammation of the arachnoid membrane of the spinal cord, with fibrosis and nerve root adhesions in the arachnoid and subarachnoid space that have been demonstrated by imaging or surgery; and (ii) neurological symptoms and signs that are consistent with the observed spinal pathology; and (b) includes arachnoiditis ossificans; and (c) excludes asymptomatic transient inflammation of the arachnoid membrane and arachnoid inflammation involving the brain and cranial nerves.
Note the exclusion. This instrument expressly excludes asymptomatic transient inflammation of the arachnoid membrane and arachnoid inflammation involving the brain and cranial nerves. A diagnosis of that is not a diagnosis of spinal adhesive arachnoiditis, and a claim framed the wrong way fails on the definition before any factor is considered.
Aggravation-only factors. In this instrument, subsections 9(18) to 9(34) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, spinal adhesive arachnoiditis where it was already present before or during service. If service caused spinal adhesive arachnoiditis outright, those factors are not available to you.
RH No. 74 of 2020 · BoP No. 75 of 2020 · 25 factors
What could support a claim for spinal adhesive arachnoiditis?
The Statement of Principles for spinal adhesive arachnoiditis 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 spinal adhesive arachnoiditis claim — quoted here from the instrument.
Subdural haematoma
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (14): “having a spinal subdural haematoma at the affected site within the two years before the clinical onset of spinal adhesive arachnoiditis” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (30): “having a spinal subdural haematoma at the affected site within the two years before the clinical worsening of spinal adhesive arachnoiditis” [worsening]
Ankylosing spondylitis
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (15): “having ankylosing spondylitis involving the affected site before the clinical onset of spinal adhesive arachnoiditis” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (31): “having ankylosing spondylitis involving the affected site before the clinical worsening of spinal adhesive arachnoiditis” [worsening]
Sarcoidosis
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (17): “having sarcoidosis before the clinical onset of spinal adhesive arachnoiditis” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (33): “having sarcoidosis before the clinical worsening of spinal adhesive arachnoiditis” [worsening]
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 →
Spinal adhesive arachnoiditis accepted?
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