Last Updated September 17, 2026
Conditions Center · Musculoskeletal · Social Security Disability
Also called degenerative joint disease, OA (OA).
Osteoarthritis can support SSDI or SSI when one or more major joints — or the combination of joints — prevents sustained work. Age-related X-ray changes are common. Social Security looks for a medically determinable joint impairment, lasting limits on standing, walking, or using the hands, and whether other work remains possible.
What is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is a joint disease in which cartilage wears and bone remodeling can cause pain, stiffness, and reduced motion. It often affects knees, hips, hands, and the spine. The CDC and NIAMS describe it as the most common form of arthritis. It is not an autoimmune disease. Severity ranges from intermittent ache to joints that will not tolerate a workday of standing or gripping.
Common symptoms of Osteoarthritis
- Activity-related joint pain that eases somewhat with rest
- Morning stiffness that is usually shorter than in inflammatory arthritis
- Reduced range of motion or bony enlargement
- Knee or hip pain that limits walking distance or stair climbing
- Hand OA that reduces grip or fine manipulation
How can Osteoarthritis affect a person’s ability to work?
- Inability to stand or walk through a light-duty job
- Limited climbing, kneeling, or crouching
- Reduced lifting because of hip, knee, or shoulder pain
- Slowed handling and fingering when the hands are involved
- Need for a cane that occupies one hand for carrying
Does Social Security have a Listing for Osteoarthritis?
Social Security currently has listing criteria that may apply: 1.18 (Abnormality of a major joint(s) in any extremity). Meeting a listing requires the specific medical findings in that listing, not only the diagnosis.
Osteoarthritis is not the same as inflammatory arthritis under Listing 14.09. Spine OA may be evaluated with the spine listings when nerve-root or stenosis criteria are present. Hip or knee OA after reconstructive surgery may implicate Listing 1.17 if those criteria are met.
Listing 1.18 requires an abnormality of a major joint plus the listing’s documented findings and functional criteria. Most OA claims that do not meet 1.18 are RFC cases. SSA considers combined joint involvement; several “moderate” joints can still eliminate the occupational base.
Can you qualify if you do not meet an SSA Listing?
Yes. OA frequently fails Listing 1.18 and still supports a favorable RFC when walking or hand use is markedly limited.
What medical evidence may help document Osteoarthritis?
- Rheumatology or orthopedics notes distinguishing OA from inflammatory arthritis
- X-rays or other imaging of the affected joints
- Gait, range-of-motion, and swelling findings
- Injection, therapy, brace, or replacement records
- Occupational or hand-therapy notes when the hands are involved
Testing, imaging, and laboratory studies
- Weight-bearing X-rays of hips or knees when relevant
- Laboratory tests are often used to rule out inflammatory disease, not to diagnose OA
How SSA may evaluate residual functional capacity
Lower-extremity OA often reduces standing and walking. Hand OA reduces production-rate handling. A claimant limited to sedentary work still must be able to sit, use the hands, and attend work reliably.
Common issues that can weaken a disability claim involving Osteoarthritis
Calling all arthritis “rheumatoid” in the application; X-rays without examination; and no explanation of how far the person can walk on a typical day.
What may strengthen the medical documentation
Joint-by-joint findings, assistive-device use, and a consistent story across primary care and specialist notes.
Osteoarthritis and related medical conditions
- Chronic Back Pain — A symptom, not a listing. SSA needs a medically determinable cause and documented functional limits. This page links the common spine diagnoses.
- Degenerative Disc Disease — Age-related or injury-related disc wear that may cause pain, stiffness, or nerve-root symptoms. A diagnosis alone does not meet a Social Security listing.
- Inflammatory Arthritis — A broad group of immune-mediated joint and spine diseases, including psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. Listing 14.09 has several disease-pattern pathways.
- Rheumatoid Arthritis — An inflammatory autoimmune arthritis. SSA may evaluate it under Listing 14.09 when the current immune-system criteria are met.
How Brock & Stout may help
We separate osteoarthritis from inflammatory arthritis in the file, map joints to current Listing 1.18 or 1.17 when surgery is involved, and develop walking and hand-use evidence for RFC.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, if the joints cause listing-level findings or an RFC that rules out substantial work. The X-ray diagnosis alone is not enough.
No. OA is generally evaluated under the musculoskeletal listings. RA is an immune-system listing (14.09) when those criteria are met.
Related Brock & Stout resources
Related conditions
Related categories
Related articles
Speak with a Social Security Disability attorney
If Osteoarthritis is affecting your ability to work, Brock & Stout can review the claim, look for missing medical evidence, and discuss next steps. We do not charge a fee for SSD representation unless we win.
This page is general educational information about Social Security Disability as of the date of this publication. It is not legal or medical advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and does not guarantee results. Eligibility depends on individual facts and current Social Security rules.
