Chronic or non-traumatic ligamentous pathology occurring at a joint site not captured by any other specific M24.2x subcategory — a true residual bucket for documented ligament disorders that lack a dedicated laterality-specific code.
Verified May 8, 2026 · 5 sources ↓
- Status
- Billable
- Chapter
- 13
- Related CPT
- 5
- Region
- Other
Documentation tips
What should appear in the chart to support M24.29.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in 5 cited references ↓
- Name the specific joint in the note — 'sternoclavicular ligament laxity' or 'sacroiliac ligament disorder' is required to justify the 'other specified site' designation on audit.
- Confirm the condition is chronic or non-acute before assigning M24.29; acute traumatic ligament injuries belong in the S-code chapters with the appropriate 7th-character extension (A, D, or S).
- Verify the affected joint does not have its own M24.2x site-specific subcode before using M24.29 — shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand, hip, knee, ankle, foot, and vertebrae all have dedicated codes.
- Document the clinical basis for the ligament disorder: imaging findings, stress testing results, joint laxity grade, or prior treatment history that supports a chronic ligamentous condition.
- If bilateral involvement is present at the 'other specified' site, document each side explicitly; M24.29 carries no built-in laterality, so narrative documentation is the only laterality record.
Related CPT procedures
Procedure codes commonly billed with M24.29. 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 M24.29 and adjacent codes.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in CDC ICD-10-CM tabular guidance, AAOS coding references, and cited references ↓
- Using M24.29 for knee, ankle, or shoulder ligament disorders when a site-specific M24.2x code exists — that is a specificity downgrade and an audit risk.
- Confusing M24.29 with acute sprain or ligament tear codes; acute traumatic injuries require S-codes with 7th-character extensions, not M24.29.
- Leaving the joint unnamed in documentation and relying on M24.29 as a catch-all — payers can deny claims when 'other specified' is not supported by an explicitly named, non-listed joint.
- Conflating M24.29 (disorder of ligament, other specified site) with M24.20 (disorder of ligament, unspecified site) — M24.20 is appropriate only when the site is truly unknown, not when it falls outside the named subcategories.
Clinical context
Source · Editorial summary grounded in 5 cited references ↓
M24.29 is the correct code when a clinician documents a ligament disorder — laxity, fibrosis, chronic sprain sequela, or ligamentous instability — at a site that does not map to the site-specific M24.2x codes. The M24.2 family includes subcodes for shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand, hip, knee, ankle, foot, and vertebrae. If the affected joint falls outside those named sites (e.g., sternoclavicular, acromioclavicular, sacroiliac, temporomandibular, or small joints of the digits when not otherwise classified), M24.29 is the appropriate fallback.
Do not use M24.29 as a default or convenience code when a more specific laterality-coded subcategory exists. For example, ligament disorder of the right knee has its own code (M24.261); defaulting to M24.29 for knee pathology is a coding error. M24.29 is also structurally distinct from acute ligament sprains or tears, which belong in the S-code injury chapters with 7th-character extensions. M24.29 represents a chronic or ongoing disorder, not an acute traumatic event.
This code has no laterality modifier built into the 6th character — the '9' here denotes 'other specified site,' not 'unspecified side.' If the documentation identifies a laterality-coded joint, use the corresponding site-specific code. Reserve M24.29 for joints genuinely absent from the named-site subcode list, and ensure the operative or clinic note explicitly names the joint involved so the 'other specified' designation is defensible on audit.
Sibling codes
Other billable codes under M24.2 (laterality / anatomic variants).
Frequently asked questions
Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 5 cited references ↓
01When does M24.29 apply instead of a more specific M24.2x code?
02Can M24.29 be used for an acute ligament sprain?
03Does M24.29 carry laterality information?
04What is the difference between M24.29 and M24.20?
05What documentation makes M24.29 audit-proof?
06Is M24.29 a new code or has it existed since ICD-10 implementation?
Sources & references
Editorial content was developed using the following public sources. Last verified May 8, 2026.
- 01CDC ICD-10-CM Tabular List 2026 (FY2026, effective Oct 1, 2025)
- 02icd10data.comhttps://www.icd10data.com/ICD10CM/Codes/M00-M99/M20-M25/M24-/M24.29
- 03aapc.comhttps://www.aapc.com/codes/icd-10-codes/M24.29
- 04globalhealthcareresource.comhttps://www.globalhealthcareresource.com/blog/musculoskeletal-system-and-connective-tissue/
- 05unboundmedicine.comhttps://www.unboundmedicine.com/icd/view/ICD-10-CM/1429280/1/M24_29___Disorder_of_ligament_other_specified_site
Mira AI Scribe
Mira AI Scribe captures the specific joint name, the nature of the ligamentous pathology (laxity, fibrosis, chronic instability), any imaging or stress-test findings, and the duration or chronicity of the condition. This prevents a payer from flagging M24.29 as an unsupported 'catch-all' and establishes that the site genuinely falls outside the named M24.2x subcategories — protecting specificity and audit defensibility.
See how Mira captures M24.29 documentation