M70.71 identifies non-trochanteric bursitis of the right hip — covering iliopsoas bursitis, ischiogluteal bursitis, and other hip bursa inflammation that is not classified as trochanteric (M70.61).

Documentation tips

What should appear in the chart to support M70.71.

Source · Editorial brief grounded in 6 cited references ↓

• Document the specific bursa involved by name (iliopsoas, ischiogluteal, or other) to distinguish M70.71 from trochanteric bursitis (M70.61) and to withstand audit scrutiny.
• Explicitly state laterality as 'right hip' in the assessment — vague documentation such as 'hip bursitis' will force a drop to M70.70 (unspecified) and may trigger a downcode or denial.
• Record clinical findings that confirm bursitis: point tenderness over the affected bursa, pain provocation tests (e.g., FABER, hip flexion against resistance for iliopsoas), and any ultrasound or MRI findings showing bursal distension or inflammation.
• If conservative care (NSAIDs, physical therapy, activity modification) preceded the visit, document its duration and outcome — this supports medical necessity for injection or advanced imaging.
• For bilateral presentations, document each side separately in the assessment and plan so both M70.71 and M70.72 can be coded without an auditor challenging the bilateral claim.

Related CPT procedures

Procedure codes commonly billed with M70.71. 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 M70.71 and adjacent codes.

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

• Coding M70.71 when the provider documented 'trochanteric bursitis' — that maps to M70.61 (right) not M70.71; the M70.7 subcategory is explicitly for non-trochanteric hip bursitis.
• Using M70.70 (unspecified laterality) when the note clearly states right hip — unspecified codes invite payer queries and can trigger claim denial on laterality-sensitive LCDs.
• Reporting a single code for bilateral hip bursitis instead of pairing M70.71 (right) and M70.72 (left) — there is no bilateral combination code in the M70.7 subcategory.
• Confusing M70.71 with M71.151 (other infective bursitis, right hip) — if the bursitis has an infectious etiology, the M71 code family is correct; M70.71 is for non-infective bursitis.
• Omitting a laterality modifier on the injection CPT code (e.g., 20610) when M70.71 is the supporting diagnosis — the RT modifier should accompany the procedure to match the laterality documented.

Clinical context

Source · Editorial summary grounded in 6 cited references ↓

Sibling codes

Other billable codes under M70.7 (laterality / anatomic variants).