Statement of Principles concerning osteoporosis (Balance of Probabilities) (No.67 of 2024) (Cth)

Statement of Principles concerning OSTEOPOROSIS (Balance of Probabilities) (No. 67 of 2024) The Repatriation Medical Authority determines the following Statement of Principles under subsection 196B(3) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.

Dated 20 August 2024.

Professor Terence Campbell AM Chairperson by and on behalf of The Repatriation Medical Authority

Contents 1 Name 2 Commencement 3 Authority 4 Repeal 5 Application 6 Definitions 7 Kind of injury, disease or death to which this Statement of Principles relates 8 Basis for determining the factors 9 Factors that must exist 10 Relationship to service 11 Factors referring to an injury or disease covered by another Statement of Principles Schedule 1 - Dictionary 1 Definitions

1 Name This is the Statement of Principles concerning osteoporosis (Balance of Probabilities) (No.67 of 2024). 2 Commencement This instrument commences on 24 September 2024. 3 Authority This instrument is made under subsection 196B(3) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986. 4 Repeal The Statement of Principles concerning osteoporosis No. 99 of 2014 (Federal Register of Legislation No. F2014L01391) made under subsection 196B(3) of the VEA is repealed. 5 Application This instrument applies to a claim to which section 120B of the VEA or section 339 of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004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 osteoporosis and death from osteoporosis. Meaning of osteoporosis (2) For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, osteoporosis: (a) means a systemic bone disease characterised by low bone density resulting in a greater susceptibility to fracture (fragility fracture), where low bone mineral density is 2.5 standard deviations or more below the mean bone mineral density of young adult sex-matched controls (T score); or radiologically confirmed fragility fracture or loss of ≥20% of vertebral height due to fragility fractures; and the fragility fracture is not better explained by other types of bone pathology than osteoporosis; or anyone over 70 years with a low bone mineral density; or people with low bone density taking glucocorticoids for at least 3 months; and