Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2022C00894:front:0:p2
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2022C00894
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 2915–6142

2021).
     3               Authority
This instrument is made under subsection 196B(2) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.
     5               Application
This instrument applies to a claim to which section 120A of the VEA or section 338 of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 applies.
     6               Definitions
The terms defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary have the meaning given when used in this instrument.
     7               Kind of injury, disease or death to which this Statement of Principles relates
(1)          This Statement of Principles is about ankylosing spondylitis and death from ankylosing spondylitis.
Meaning of ankylosing spondylitis
(2)          For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, ankylosing spondylitis:
(a)          means a chronic, progressive, systemic inflammatory disease principally involving the sacroiliac joints and the axial skeleton; and
(b)          excludes psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis and fibromyalgia.
            Note: People with ankylosing spondylitis typically have HLA B27 antigen, are usually less than 45 years of age at clinical onset and may have associated manifestations of inflammatory back pain, an elevated C-reactive protein, peripheral arthritis, heel enthesitis, uveitis or a family history of spondyloarthritis.
(3)          While ankylosing spondylitis attracts ICD‑10‑AM code M45, in applying this Statement of Principles the meaning of ankylosing spondylitis is that given in subsection (2).
(4)          For subsection (3), a reference to an ICD-10-AM code is a reference to the code assigned to a particular kind of injury or disease in The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM), Tenth Edition, effective date of 1 July 2017, copyrighted by the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority, ISBN 978-1-76007-296-4.
Death from ankylosing spondylitis
(5)          For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, ankylosing spondylitis, in relation to a person, includes death from a terminal event or condition that was contributed to by the person's ankylosing spondylitis.
            Note: terminal event is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
     8               Basis for determining the factors
The Repatriation Medical Authority is of the view that there is sound medical‑scientific evidence that indicates that ankylosing spondylitis and death from ankylosing spondylitis can be related to relevant service rendered by veterans, members of Peacekeeping Forces, or members of the Forces under the VEA, or members under the MRCA.
Note: MRCA, relevant service and VEA are defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
     9               Factors that must exist
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 ankylosing spondylitis or death from ankylosing spondylitis with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:
(1)          having periodontitis for at least the three months before the clinical onset of ankylosing spondylitis;
(2)          having periodontitis for at least the three months before the