Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners

Decision Considerations - Aerospace Medical Dispositions
Item 43. Spine and other Musculoskeletal - Arthritis

Disease/Condition	Class	Evaluation Data	Disposition
Osteoarthritis and variants on PRN NSAIDS only	All	Symptoms are well controlled with no persistent daily symptoms and no functional limitations	Issue - warn for changes in condition or additional medication use
Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Variants on meds other than NSAIDS	All	Review a current status report to include functional status (degree of impairment as measured by strength, range of motion, pain), medications with side effects and all pertinent medical reports	See Arthritis Worksheet (PDF). If airman meets all certification criteria - Issue. All others require FAA Decision. Submit all evaluation data. Initial Special Issuance - Requires FAA Decision Followup Special Issuances - See AASI Protocol