Amendment Statement of Principles concerning osteoarthritis (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 40 of 2020) (Cth)

Amendment Statement of Principles

concerning

OSTEOARTHRITIS
(Reasonable Hypothesis)

(No. 40 of 2020)

The Repatriation Medical Authority determines the following Amendment Statement of Principles under subsections 196B(2) and (8) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.

Dated      24 April 2020

The Common Seal of the
Repatriation Medical Authority
was affixed to this instrument
at the direction of:

Professor Nicholas Saunders AO
Chairperson

Contents

1Name........................................................................................................................................... 3

2Commencement........................................................................................................................ 3

3Authority..................................................................................................................................... 3

4Amendment............................................................................................................................... 3

1. Name

This is the Amendment Statement of Principles concerning osteoarthritis (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 40 of 2020).

1. Commencement

This instrument commences on 25 May 2020.

1. Authority

This instrument is made under subsections 196B(2) and (8) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.

1. Amendment

The Statement of Principles concerning osteoarthritis (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 61 of 2017) (Federal Register of Legislation No. F2017L01443) is amended in the following manner:

Section

Amendment

Schedule 1 – Dictionary

Replace the existing definition of "trauma to the affected joint" with the following:

trauma to the affected joint means a discrete event involving the application of significant physical force to or through the affected joint, that causes:

(a)     damage to the joint; and

(b)     the development, within 24 hours of the event occurring, of symptoms and signs of pain and tenderness, and either altered mobility or range of movement of the joint.  In the case of sustained unconsciousness or the masking of pain by analgesic medication, these symptoms and signs must appear on return to consciousness or the withdrawal of the analgesic medication; and

(c)     the persistence of these symptoms and signs for a period of at least seven days following their onset, save for where medical intervention for the trauma to that joint has occurred and that medical intervention involves one of the following:

(i)      immobilisation of the joint or limb by splinting or similar external agent;

(ii)     injection of a corticosteroid or local anaesthetic into that joint; or

(iii)    surgery to that joint.