DVA and Osteoarthritis: Claims and Compensation

What is osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is the wearing down of the cartilage that cushions a joint. As the cartilage thins, the bones rub more closely, which causes pain, stiffness, swelling and reduced movement. It most often affects weight-bearing and heavily used joints, the knees, hips and ankles, but also the shoulders, hands and spine. It tends to worsen gradually, so symptoms can appear years after the service that contributed to it.

Why it affects veterans, and the secondary pathway

There are two common routes for veterans. The first is cumulative load: marching, running, jumping and carrying weight over many years accelerates joint wear. The second, which many veterans overlook, is the secondary pathway, where osteoarthritis develops in a joint that was previously injured. If you tore a meniscus or damaged a ligament during service and that knee later develops arthritis, the arthritis can be claimed as a secondary condition to the original injury. It is worth reviewing what you already have accepted before assuming arthritis is unrelated.

If your arthritis followed a knee injury in particular, our guide to knee injury claims covers the original-injury side of the picture.

Can you claim osteoarthritis through DVA?

Yes. Osteoarthritis is a recognised condition with its own Statement of Principles, and it is assessed for each affected joint. Liability can be accepted where service caused the arthritis, where service materially aggravated it, or where it arises as a secondary condition to an accepted injury. As always, acceptance turns on the evidence and the factors in the relevant Statement, and the applicable legislation, MRCA, DRCA or the VEA, depends on when and where you served.

The evidence that helps

Naming the joint and confirming the diagnosis is the foundation. Our guide on getting the right DVA diagnosis covers how to approach that.

Impairment, treatment and compensation

If liability is accepted, treatment is funded through your DVA card, which can extend to physiotherapy, pain management, joint injections and surgery such as joint replacement. Because osteoarthritis usually affects several joints, it can carry meaningful weight in your overall impairment assessment, but how many points apply depends on the individual examination against the guide to determining impairment. Where more than one joint is involved, each is considered, so it is worth claiming them properly rather than lumping them together.

Frequently asked questions

What is secondary osteoarthritis?

Arthritis that develops in a joint because of an earlier injury or condition. If the original injury is service-related or already accepted, the arthritis can often be claimed as secondary to it.

Can I claim arthritis in more than one joint?

Yes. Each affected joint is assessed on its own evidence, so multiple joints can be claimed, and each can contribute to your impairment assessment.

Isn’t arthritis just part of getting older?

Age plays a role, but service factors and earlier injuries can cause or accelerate it. DVA assesses whether your service contributed, based on the evidence, not age alone.