Calcium deposits present in bursae at two or more distinct anatomical sites, not attributable to a single localized region.

Documentation tips

What should appear in the chart to support M71.49.

Source · Editorial brief grounded in 4 cited references ↓

• Name every affected bursal site explicitly (e.g., 'right olecranon bursa and left trochanteric bursa') — 'multiple sites' on the claim without supporting specificity in the note is an audit target.
• Reference the imaging modality that confirmed calcification (X-ray, ultrasound, or MRI) and the specific bursae visualized with deposits at each site.
• Exclude shoulder bursal deposits from the multi-site count; if the shoulder is one of the sites, assign M75.3 separately and document the non-shoulder sites under M71.49.
• Document whether the condition is related to systemic disease (e.g., hyperparathyroidism, CPPD) — this may drive additional diagnosis codes and supports medical necessity for imaging and treatment.
• Record conservative care history (NSAIDs, aspiration, PT) across each affected site to support medical necessity for any planned procedures.

Related CPT procedures

Procedure codes commonly billed with M71.49. 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 M71.49 and adjacent codes.

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

• Assigning M71.49 when only one bursal site is affected — if deposits are isolated to a single region, use the site-specific M71.4x code, not the multiple-sites catch-all.
• Including shoulder bursal calcinosis in the M71.49 count — the Excludes2 note at M71.4 explicitly routes shoulder deposits to M75.3; billing both without distinguishing sites risks a claim edit.
• Confusing M71.49 (calcium deposit in bursa) with M70-series bursitis — M70 codes are for use/overuse-related bursitis, not calcinosis; the etiology must be documented to support M71.49.
• Using M71.49 when calcification is tendinous rather than bursal — tendinous calcific deposits outside the shoulder may map to other soft tissue codes; verify bursal involvement on imaging before assigning.
• Omitting the Excludes1 check for enthesopathies — if calcification is at a tendon insertion point rather than within a bursa, M76–M77 may be more accurate.

Clinical context

Source · Editorial summary grounded in 4 cited references ↓

Sibling codes

Other billable codes under M71.4 (laterality / anatomic variants).