ICD-10-CM · Spine

M41.24

M41.24 identifies idiopathic scoliosis of the thoracic spine that does not fit the infantile, juvenile, or adolescent onset subcategories — a billable, site-specific code within the M41.2 (Other idiopathic scoliosis) family.

Verified May 8, 2026 · 6 sources ↓

Status: Billable
Chapter: 13
Related CPT: 15
Region: Spine

Drawn from CDCICD10DataAAPCNIHClear-institute

Documentation tips

What should appear in the chart to support M41.24.

Source · Editorial brief grounded in 6 cited references ↓

Record the Cobb angle measurement and the specific end vertebrae used (e.g., T4–T11) to confirm thoracic region assignment and support medical necessity.
Explicitly state 'other idiopathic' scoliosis and document why the age-based subcategories (infantile, juvenile, adolescent) do not apply — particularly for adult-onset or unknown-onset cases.
Note the age of initial diagnosis, not the age at current presentation; onset age drives subtype selection within M41.2.
Document any associated symptoms — back pain, rib prominence, shoulder asymmetry, respiratory compromise — that justify the level of service and support medical necessity for imaging or intervention.
If kyphoscoliosis is present, note it explicitly; M41 includes kyphoscoliosis and the same code applies, but the clinical record should reflect the combined deformity.
For surgical cases, document curve flexibility (rigid vs. flexible), number of levels fused, and instrumentation planned — this maps directly to CPT selection for posterior spinal fusion codes.

Related CPT procedures

Procedure codes commonly billed with M41.24. Linking the right diagnosis to the right procedure is what establishes medical necessity.

Source · CMS LCDs · AAOS specialty guidance · claims-pattern analysis

22800 $1,312.99

Posterior spinal arthrodesis for deformity correction spanning up to 6 vertebral segments, with or without application of a body cast.

22802 $1,936.25

Posterior spinal arthrodesis for deformity correction spanning 7 to 12 vertebral segments, with or without body cast application.

22804 $2,222.50

Posterior spinal arthrodesis for deformity correction spanning 13 or more vertebral segments, performed with or without application of a body cast.

22808 $1,754.55

Anterior spinal arthrodesis for deformity correction spanning 2 to 3 vertebral segments, performed with or without cast application.

22810 $1,795.97

Anterior spinal arthrodesis for deformity correction spanning 4 to 7 vertebral segments, including minimal discectomy to prepare each interspace.

22812 $1,970.99

Anterior spinal arthrodesis for deformity correction spanning eight or more vertebral segments, with or without cast application.

22840 $668.35

Posterior non-segmental instrumentation placed during spinal surgery, using rods, hooks, or wires that span multiple vertebral levels without anchoring at each intervening segment.

22842 $680.04

Posterior segmental spinal instrumentation spanning 3 to 6 vertebral segments, reported as an add-on to the primary spinal procedure code.

22843 $728.47

Posterior segmental spinal instrumentation spanning 7 to 12 vertebral segments, reported as an add-on to the primary fusion or decompression procedure.

22844 $875.10

Posterior segmental spinal instrumentation spanning 13 or more vertebral segments, reported as an add-on to the primary spinal procedure.

72080 $35.07

Radiologic examination of the thoracolumbar junction (where the thoracic and lumbar spine meet), requiring a minimum of two views.

97110 $29.06

Therapeutic exercise billed per 15-minute unit, targeting strength, endurance, range of motion, or flexibility with direct one-on-one patient contact.

72072 View procedure details

72074 View procedure details

97530 View procedure details

Common coding pitfalls

The recurring mistakes coders make with M41.24 and adjacent codes.

Source · Editorial brief grounded in CDC ICD-10-CM tabular guidance, AAOS coding references, and cited references ↓

Using M41.24 for a teenager with idiopathic thoracic scoliosis — adolescent onset (ages 10–17 at diagnosis) maps to M41.124, not M41.24.
Selecting M41.24 when the curve spans both thoracic and lumbar vertebrae — a thoracolumbar curve requires M41.25; confirm the Cobb angle end vertebrae before assigning the region.
Applying M41.24 to scoliosis with a documented structural cause such as a hemivertebra (Q76.3) or neuromuscular disease (M41.4x) — those have dedicated codes and M41.2x is excluded.
Coding M41.24 when the scoliosis arose after spinal surgery or radiation — use M96.89 (postprocedural scoliosis) or M96.5 (postradiation scoliosis) instead.
Defaulting to M41.20 (site unspecified) when imaging clearly localizes the curve to the thoracic spine — M41.24 is the more specific, audit-defensible choice whenever the region is documented.

Clinical context

Source · Editorial summary grounded in 6 cited references ↓

M41.24 applies when the provider documents idiopathic scoliosis localized to the thoracic region and the clinical picture does not meet the age-defined criteria for infantile (M41.04), juvenile (M41.14), or adolescent (M41.124) subtypes. Practically, this includes adult-onset idiopathic thoracic scoliosis and cases where the age of onset is unknown or undocumented. The thoracic region is defined by the vertebral levels used to measure the Cobb angle — a curve with end vertebrae spanning T1–T12 qualifies; a curve crossing into the lumbar segment shifts to thoracolumbar (M41.25).

The M41 category includes kyphoscoliosis but carries hard Excludes1 blocks for congenital scoliosis NOS (Q67.5), congenital scoliosis due to bony malformation (Q76.3), postural congenital scoliosis (Q67.5), and kyphoscoliotic heart disease (I27.1). Excludes2 blocks cover postprocedural scoliosis (M96.89) and postradiation scoliosis (M96.5) — those can be coded alongside M41.24 only if both conditions are genuinely present and distinct. Never use M41.24 when the chart documents a known structural or syndromic cause; those cases require etiology-specific codes.

The key differentiator within M41.2 is onset age: idiopathic scoliosis is coded by when it was first diagnosed, not when the patient presents. A 50-year-old presenting with a curve first identified in childhood would still carry the adolescent code (M41.124) if that onset is documented. Use M41.24 only when the record genuinely reflects the 'other' (non-age-classified) idiopathic category.

Sibling codes

Other billable codes under M41.2 (laterality / anatomic variants).

M41.27

Other idiopathic scoliosis, lumbosacral region

M41.23

Other idiopathic scoliosis, cervicothoracic region

M41.25

Other idiopathic scoliosis, thoracolumbar region

M41.20

Other idiopathic scoliosis, site unspecified

M41.22

Other idiopathic scoliosis, cervical region

M41.26

Other idiopathic scoliosis, lumbar region

Frequently asked questions

Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 6 cited references ↓

01What distinguishes M41.24 from M41.124 (adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, thoracic region)?

M41.124 applies when the scoliosis was first diagnosed during adolescence (generally ages 10–17). M41.24 is used when the idiopathic thoracic curve does not fit any age-defined subcategory — typically adult-onset or onset-unknown cases. The deciding factor is the documented age at initial diagnosis, not the patient's current age.

02Can M41.24 be used for a patient with both thoracic and lumbar curves?

Only if the curves are distinct and independently documented. A single curve with end vertebrae crossing T and L levels is thoracolumbar (M41.25). Two separate curves — one thoracic, one lumbar — may support dual coding of M41.24 and M41.26, but each curve must be documented with its own Cobb angle and end vertebrae.

03Is M41.24 appropriate when kyphoscoliosis is present?

Yes. The M41 category explicitly includes kyphoscoliosis. If the thoracic curve involves both lateral deviation and hyperkyphosis and meets the 'other idiopathic' criteria, M41.24 remains the correct code. Document the kyphotic component separately in the clinical note.

04Which CPT codes are most commonly paired with M41.24?

Diagnostic imaging codes (72072–72080 for thoracic spine X-rays) pair at evaluation. For surgery, posterior spinal fusion codes 22800–22812 and instrumentation add-ons 22840–22844 are typical pairings depending on the number of levels fused and hardware used.

05Does M41.24 require a 7th character?

No. M-codes in the musculoskeletal chapter do not use 7th-character extensions. The 7th-character system (A/D/S for initial/subsequent/sequela) applies to injury S-codes, not to chronic condition codes like M41.24.

06What exclusions should I check before assigning M41.24?

Verify three Excludes1 conditions that cannot be coded with M41.24: congenital scoliosis NOS (Q67.5), congenital scoliosis due to bony malformation (Q76.3), and kyphoscoliotic heart disease (I27.1). Also check Excludes2 for postprocedural scoliosis (M96.89) and postradiation scoliosis (M96.5) — those require their own codes when the etiology is procedural or radiation-related.

07Can M41.24 and a pain code be reported together?

Yes. If the patient also has thoracic back pain, a secondary code such as M54.6 (pain in thoracic spine) may be reported alongside M41.24 when the pain is separately documented and clinically significant. The scoliosis should be listed as the primary diagnosis when it is the reason for the encounter.

Sources & references

Editorial content was developed using the following public sources. Last verified May 8, 2026.

Mira AI Scribe

Mira's AI scribe captures the Cobb angle measurement, the specific thoracic vertebral levels serving as end vertebrae, the patient's age at initial scoliosis diagnosis, and the absence of a congenital, neuromuscular, or postprocedural cause — all required to justify M41.24 over a less specific M41.20 or a misapplied adolescent code. Gaps in this documentation trigger downcoding, payer requests for medical records, or denial on medical necessity grounds.

See how Mira captures M41.24 documentation