Knee bursitis — DVA SoP factors

Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) — Statement of Principles No. 65 of 2018

At least one of the following factors must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting knee bursitis or death from knee bursitis with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:

1. (1)
   for knee bursitis other than prepatellar and superficial infrapatellar bursitis, running or jogging an average of at least 30 kilometres per week for the four weeks before the clinical onset of knee bursitis;
2. (2)
   for prepatellar bursitis or superficial infrapatellar bursitis only, working whilst kneeling, crawling or pressing the anterior knee against a hard vertical surface for a cumulative period of at least 60 hours within the two months before the clinical onset of knee bursitis;

   Note: Examples of pressing the anterior knee against a hard vertical surface include working whilst standing against a guard rail on a rolling and pitching ship.

3. (3)
   for medial collateral ligament bursitis only, pressing the medial side of the knee against a hard surface for a cumulative period of at least 60 hours within the two months before the clinical onset of knee bursitis;

   Note: Examples of pressing the medial knee against a hard surface include horseback riding or motorcycle riding.

4. (4)
   having trauma to the affected knee bursa in the 30 days before the clinical onset of knee bursitis;

   Note: Examples of trauma include cuts, abrasions and lacerations of the affected knee bursa, repeated knocking or hitting the affected knee bursa, needle aspiration of the affected knee bursa and wearing a below knee amputation prosthesis.

5. (5)
   having surgery to the knee of the affected side in the 30 days before the clinical onset of knee bursitis;
6. (6)
   having a bacterial, fungal or algal infection of the affected knee bursa at the time of the clinical onset of knee bursitis;
7. (7)
   for septic knee bursitis only, being in an immunocompromised state as specified at the time of the clinical onset of knee bursitis;

   Note: immunocompromised state as specified is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

8. (8)
   for prepatellar, superficial infrapatellar or pretibial bursitis only, having psoriasis, atopic dermatitis or other inflammatory skin disorder, where the skin disorder involves the skin of the extensor surface of the affected knee, at the time of the clinical onset of knee bursitis;
9. (9)
   having a disease from the specified list of diseases at the time of the clinical onset of knee bursitis;

   Note: specified list of diseases is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

10. (10)
    for medial compartment bursitis only, having medial compartment osteoarthritis at the time of the clinical onset of knee bursitis;

    Note: medial compartment bursitis is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

11. (11)
    for pes anserine bursitis only, having a significant biomechanical abnormality involving the affected knee at the time of the clinical onset of knee bursitis;

    Note: significant biomechanical abnormality is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

12. (12)
    for knee bursitis other than prepatellar and superficial infrapatellar bursitis, running or jogging an average of at least 30 kilometres per week for the four weeks before the clinical worsening of knee bursitis;
13. (13)
    for prepatellar bursitis or superficial infrapatellar bursitis only, working whilst kneeling, crawling or pressing the anterior knee against a hard vertical surface for a cumulative period of at least 60 hours within the two months before the clinical worsening of knee bursitis;

    Note: Examples of pressing the anterior knee against a hard vertical surface include working whilst standing against a guard rail on a rolling and pitching ship.

14. (14)
    for medial collateral ligament bursitis only, pressing the medial side of the knee against a hard surface for a cumulative period of at least 60 hours within the two months before the clinical worsening of knee bursitis;

    Note: Examples of pressing the medial knee against a hard surface include horseback riding or motorcycle riding.

15. (15)
    having trauma to the affected knee bursa in the 30 days before the clinical worsening of knee bursitis;

    Note: Examples of trauma include cuts, abrasions and lacerations of the affected knee bursa, repeated knocking or hitting the affected knee bursa, needle aspiration of the affected knee bursa and wearing a below knee amputation prosthesis.

16. (16)
    having surgery to the knee of the affected side in the 30 days before the clinical worsening of knee bursitis;
17. (17)
    having a bacterial, fungal or algal infection of the affected knee bursa at the time of the clinical worsening of knee bursitis;
18. (18)
    for septic knee bursitis only, being in an immunocompromised state as specified at the time of the clinical worsening of knee bursitis;

    Note: immunocompromised state as specified is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

19. (19)
    for prepatellar, superficial infrapatellar or pretibial bursitis only, having psoriasis, atopic dermatitis or other inflammatory skin disorder, where the skin disorder involves the skin of the extensor surface of the affected knee, at the time of the clinical worsening of knee bursitis;
20. (20)
    having a disease from the specified list of diseases at the time of the clinical worsening of knee bursitis;

    Note: specified list of diseases is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

21. (21)
    for medial compartment bursitis only, having medial compartment osteoarthritis at the time of the clinical worsening of knee bursitis;

    Note: medial compartment bursitis is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

22. (22)
    for pes anserine bursitis only, having a significant biomechanical abnormality involving the affected knee at the time of the clinical worsening of knee bursitis;

    Note: significant biomechanical abnormality is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

23. (23)
    inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for knee bursitis;

Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsections 8(12) to 8(23) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.