Rheumatoid bursitis affecting the vertebral region — bursal inflammation along the spine occurring in the context of rheumatoid disease.
Verified May 8, 2026 · 6 sources ↓
- Status
- Billable
- Chapter
- 13
- Related CPT
- 11
- Region
- Spine
Documentation tips
What should appear in the chart to support M06.28.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in 6 cited references ↓
- Specify the vertebral region involved (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, or sacral) to support medical necessity, even though ICD-10 does not subdivide M06.28 further.
- Document the clinical basis linking bursitis to rheumatoid disease — lab values (RF, anti-CCP), prior RA diagnosis, or rheumatology consultation notes.
- Record imaging findings (MRI or ultrasound) that confirm bursal fluid or synovial thickening at the vertebral level to substantiate the diagnosis.
- Note whether rheumatoid factor is positive or negative; if seropositive RA is also present, evaluate whether M05-series codes are additionally warranted.
- Document prior or concurrent treatments (DMARDs, NSAIDs, corticosteroids) to support conservative care history and medical necessity for any procedures.
Related CPT procedures
Procedure codes commonly billed with M06.28. Linking the right diagnosis to the right procedure is what establishes medical necessity.
Source · CMS LCDs · AAOS specialty guidance · claims-pattern analysis
Common coding pitfalls
The recurring mistakes coders make with M06.28 and adjacent codes.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in CDC ICD-10-CM tabular guidance, AAOS coding references, and cited references ↓
- Confusing M06.28 (rheumatoid bursitis, vertebrae) with M06.08 (rheumatoid arthritis without RF, vertebrae) — bursitis and arthritis are different manifestations and require different codes.
- Assigning M06.28 without documentation that ties the bursitis to rheumatoid disease — mechanical or non-rheumatoid spinal bursitis belongs in the M71 bursopathy category, not M06.
- Overlooking that M06.28 carries no laterality extension — do not attempt to append a 6th character for side; the vertebral subcode is intentionally non-lateralized.
- Defaulting to M06.20 (unspecified site) when the vertebral location is clearly documented — M06.28 is the billable, site-specific code and should be used when vertebrae are identified.
Clinical context
Source · Editorial summary grounded in 6 cited references ↓
M06.28 captures rheumatoid bursitis localized to the vertebrae, sitting under the M06.2 (Rheumatoid bursitis) subcategory within the broader M06 'Other rheumatoid arthritis' category. Use this code when the treating provider has documented bursal inflammation of the spine — cervical, thoracic, or lumbar — that is attributed to rheumatoid disease rather than mechanical, infectious, or crystal-induced causes. The vertebral site designation is unique within M06.2: unlike peripheral joints (shoulder, elbow, knee, hip, ankle, hand, wrist), the vertebral subcode carries no laterality extension because spinal bursae are midline or bilateral by anatomy. No 7th-character extension applies to this M-code.
This code belongs to the inflammatory polyarthropathies section (M05–M14) and requires clinical context linking the bursitis to rheumatoid disease. If the patient has confirmed RA with positive rheumatoid factor, consider whether a seropositive RA code (M05 series) more accurately captures the encounter before defaulting to M06.28. M06.28 is appropriate when the provider specifically identifies rheumatoid bursitis at the vertebrae without seropositive RA being the primary coded condition, or when the bursitis is the discrete manifestation being treated.
Distinguish M06.28 from M06.08 (Rheumatoid arthritis without rheumatoid factor, vertebrae) — bursitis and arthritis are distinct manifestations. Both may be present simultaneously, in which case both codes may be reported if documented. Also distinguish from non-rheumatoid spinal bursitis, which would fall under M71 (Other bursopathies) rather than M06.
Sibling codes
Other billable codes under M06.2 (laterality / anatomic variants).
Frequently asked questions
Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 6 cited references ↓
01Does M06.28 require a laterality digit?
02Can M06.28 and M06.08 be reported together for the same patient visit?
03When should I use M71 spinal bursopathy codes instead of M06.28?
04If a patient has seropositive RA and develops vertebral bursitis, should I use M06.28 or an M05 code?
05Is M06.28 valid for FY2026 claims?
06What imaging CPT codes are commonly paired with M06.28?
Sources & references
Editorial content was developed using the following public sources. Last verified May 8, 2026.
- 01CDC ICD-10-CM Tabular List 2026 (effective Oct 1, 2025)
- 02aapc.comhttps://www.aapc.com/codes/icd-10-codes/M06.28
- 03icd10data.comhttps://www.icd10data.com/ICD10CM/Codes/M00-M99/M05-M14/M06-/M06.28
- 04rheumatologyadvisor.comhttps://www.rheumatologyadvisor.com/diagnostic-update/rheumatology-icd-10-codes/
- 05icdcodes.aihttps://icdcodes.ai/icd10/M06.28
- 06gesund.bund.dehttps://gesund.bund.de/en/icd-code-suche/m06-28
Mira AI Scribe
Mira's AI scribe captures the vertebral region affected (cervical, thoracic, lumbar), the provider's attribution of bursitis to rheumatoid disease, relevant lab markers (RF, anti-CCP), and any imaging confirming bursal pathology at the spinal level. This prevents defaulting to unspecified site code M06.20, avoids misassignment to the M71 mechanical bursopathy category, and ensures the encounter record supports medical necessity for advanced imaging or spinal procedures.
See how Mira captures M06.28 documentation