ICD-10-CM · Hip

M70.61

Inflammation of the trochanteric bursa overlying the greater trochanter of the right hip, classified under soft tissue disorders related to use, overuse, and pressure.

Verified May 8, 2026 · 9 sources ↓

Status: Billable
Chapter: 13
Related CPT: 8
Region: Hip

Drawn from CDCICD10DataIcdcodesAAPCGenhealth

Documentation tips

What should appear in the chart to support M70.61.

Source · Editorial brief grounded in 9 cited references ↓

Specify 'right' hip explicitly in the assessment — 'trochanteric bursitis' alone without laterality forces a downcode to M70.60 (unspecified).
Record point tenderness over the right greater trochanter and any provocative test results (e.g., positive Ober's test, pain with resisted hip abduction) to support clinical validation.
Document imaging modality and findings: ultrasound or MRI confirming bursal inflammation, and whether a gluteal tendon tear was ruled out — this distinction affects treatment planning and coding.
Note the chronicity and any prior conservative treatment (PT, NSAIDs, prior injections) to support medical necessity for procedural claims such as corticosteroid injection.
If both hips are affected, document bilateral involvement explicitly so both M70.61 and M70.62 can be reported; do not default to a single unspecified code.

Related CPT procedures

Procedure codes commonly billed with M70.61. Linking the right diagnosis to the right procedure is what establishes medical necessity.

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

20610 $68.81

Aspiration and/or injection of a major joint or bursa (shoulder, hip, knee, or subacromial bursa) performed without ultrasound guidance.

20611 $104.21

Aspiration or injection of a major joint or bursa performed under real-time ultrasound guidance, with permanent image documentation.

73721 $204.41

MRI of a lower extremity joint (hip, knee, or ankle) performed without contrast material.

73502 $48.77

Radiologic exam of a single hip, capturing two or three views, including the pelvis when performed.

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.

99213 $95.19

Established patient office or outpatient visit requiring 20–29 minutes of total time or low-complexity medical decision-making.

99214 $135.61

Office visit for an established patient requiring moderate-complexity medical decision making (MDM), or 30–39 minutes of total provider time on the date of service.

97530 View procedure details

Common coding pitfalls

The recurring mistakes coders make with M70.61 and adjacent codes.

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

Submitting the non-billable parent code M70.6 instead of the laterality-specific M70.61 — payers will reject or downcode the claim.
Confusing M70.61 with hip osteoarthritis codes (M16.11) or femoral neck pathology — trochanteric bursitis produces lateral hip pain at the greater trochanter, not groin pain or joint-line tenderness; verify the documented diagnosis before coding.
Using M70.61 for left hip bursitis — M70.61 is right hip only; left hip is M70.62. Source 7 (Liv Hospital) incorrectly labels M70.61 as left hip; the CDC Tabular List is authoritative.
Failing to add a separate injection code (20610 or 20611) when a bursal injection is performed at the same encounter — the diagnosis code alone does not capture the procedure.
Coding bilateral trochanteric bursitis with only one laterality-specific code rather than reporting both M70.61 and M70.62 when bilateral involvement is documented.

Clinical context

Source · Editorial summary grounded in 9 cited references ↓

M70.61 is the billable code for trochanteric bursitis of the right hip — also called greater trochanteric pain syndrome. Use it when the clinician has documented right-sided involvement with findings such as point tenderness over the right greater trochanter, pain with resisted hip abduction, or imaging (ultrasound or MRI) confirming bursal inflammation. Do not use M70.61 when laterality is not specified; drop to M70.60 (unspecified hip) in that case. For left hip involvement, use M70.62.

The parent code M70.6 is non-billable and must not be submitted on claims. The Applicable To note under M70.6 includes trochanteric tendinitis, so this code family covers tendinitis of the trochanteric tendons as well as classic bursitis — document the clinician's specific terminology but either presentation maps here. Bilateral trochanteric bursitis is a recognized synonym listed under both M70.61 and M70.62; when both hips are documented as involved, report both laterality-specific codes rather than defaulting to an unspecified code.

This code groups to MS-DRG 557 (Tendonitis, Myositis and Bursitis with MCC) or MS-DRG 558 (without MCC) under CMS DRG v43.0. Common associated procedures include corticosteroid bursal injection (CPT 20610 without ultrasound, 20611 with ultrasound guidance) and physical therapy evaluation. Imaging to rule out gluteal tendon tear or hip OA is frequently ordered alongside this diagnosis.

Sibling codes

Other billable codes under M70.6 (laterality / anatomic variants).

M70.60

Trochanteric bursitis, unspecified hip

M70.62

Trochanteric bursitis, left hip

Frequently asked questions

Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 9 cited references ↓

01What is the difference between M70.61 and M70.60?

M70.61 specifies right hip trochanteric bursitis and is billable. M70.60 is the unspecified-hip fallback, also billable, but carries higher audit risk and signals incomplete documentation. Always use M70.61 when the right hip is documented.

02Can M70.61 be used for bilateral trochanteric bursitis?

Yes, but not alone. When both hips are documented, report M70.61 for the right hip and M70.62 for the left hip on the same claim. Do not collapse bilateral involvement into a single unspecified code.

03Is imaging required to code M70.61?

Imaging is not a strict ICD-10-CM coding requirement, but ultrasound or MRI confirmation of bursal inflammation significantly strengthens medical necessity documentation and reduces denial risk, particularly for injection procedures billed with 20610 or 20611.

04Does M70.61 cover trochanteric tendinitis, or only bursitis?

Both. The Applicable To note under parent code M70.6 includes trochanteric tendinitis, so documentation of right trochanteric tendinitis maps to M70.61 just as bursitis does. Use the terminology the clinician documented.

05What CPT codes are typically paired with M70.61?

CPT 20610 (injection/aspiration of major joint or bursa without ultrasound) and 20611 (with ultrasound guidance) are the primary procedural pairings. For diagnostic imaging, 73502 (hip X-ray) or 73721 (MRI hip without contrast) may be ordered and reported separately.

06Should M70.61 or a hip OA code be used when both diagnoses are present?

Report both if both are documented and clinically active. M70.61 (trochanteric bursitis, right hip) and an OA code such as M16.11 (primary OA, right hip) can coexist on the same claim. Sequence the diagnosis driving the encounter as principal.

07Which DRG does M70.61 map to for inpatient claims?

M70.61 groups to MS-DRG 557 (Tendonitis, Myositis and Bursitis with MCC) or MS-DRG 558 (without MCC) under CMS MS-DRG v43.0.

Sources & references

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

Mira AI Scribe

Mira AI Scribe captures laterality (right vs. left), the specific anatomic location of tenderness (greater trochanter vs. hip joint line), provocative exam findings (Ober's test, resisted abduction), and imaging results (ultrasound or MRI confirming bursal inflammation vs. tendon tear). This prevents a downcode to the non-billable M70.6 or unspecified M70.60, and flags when bilateral documentation supports reporting both M70.61 and M70.62.

See how Mira captures M70.61 documentation