ICD-10-CM · Elbow

M77.01

Medial epicondylitis of the right elbow — an enthesopathy involving degenerative or overuse-related changes at the common flexor tendon origin on the medial epicondyle of the right humerus, commonly called golfer's elbow.

Verified May 8, 2026 · 7 sources ↓

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

Drawn from CDCICD10DataAAPCIcdcodesHandsurgeryresource

Documentation tips

What should appear in the chart to support M77.01.

Source · Editorial brief grounded in 7 cited references ↓

Explicitly state 'right elbow' in the assessment — 'medial epicondylitis' alone without laterality forces a drop to M77.00 (unspecified), which payers flag.
Record tenderness localized to the medial epicondyle and pain provoked by resisted wrist flexion or forearm pronation to support the enthesopathy diagnosis.
If ultrasound or MRI was performed, document the specific finding — tendon hypoechogenicity, thickening, or partial-thickness tearing — to substantiate medical necessity for imaging CPT codes.
Note activity history (repetitive gripping, throwing, racquet sports, manual labor) to establish the overuse etiology and support conservative care necessity.
For injection encounters, confirm the provider documents the exact injection target (common flexor tendon origin vs. tendon sheath) to select the correct CPT code (20550 vs. 20551).
When bilateral, document both sides explicitly so both M77.01 and M77.02 can be coded; payers may deny bilateral claims without symmetrical documentation.

Related CPT procedures

Procedure codes commonly billed with M77.01. Linking the right diagnosis to the right procedure is what establishes medical necessity.

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

20550 $60.46

Injection into a single tendon sheath, ligament, or aponeurosis (such as the plantar fascia) — one anatomical site per unit.

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.

24357 $384.44

Percutaneous repair of the elbow tendon, performed through a minimally invasive approach without a large open incision.

24358 $500.01

Open tenotomy of the lateral or medial elbow with debridement of soft tissue and/or bone, performed for conditions such as lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) or medial epicondylitis (golfer's elbow).

24359 $616.91

Open elbow tenotomy with soft tissue and/or bone debridement plus tendon repair or reattachment, performed at the lateral or medial epicondyle for conditions such as epicondylitis.

73070 $29.39

Radiographic examination of the elbow joint using a minimum of 2 views to evaluate bone structure and surrounding tissues.

73080 $33.07

Radiologic examination of the elbow, complete, requiring a minimum of three views.

99203 $117.57

New patient office or outpatient visit requiring a medically appropriate history and/or examination with low-complexity medical decision-making, or 30–44 minutes of total provider time on the date of the encounter.

99204 $177.36

New patient office or outpatient visit requiring moderate medical decision making, or 45–59 minutes of total provider time on the date of the encounter.

99205 $236.81

New patient office or outpatient visit requiring high-complexity medical decision making, or 60–74 minutes of total time on the date of encounter.

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.

97112 View procedure details

76881 View procedure details

76882 View procedure details

Common coding pitfalls

The recurring mistakes coders make with M77.01 and adjacent codes.

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

Defaulting to M77.00 (unspecified elbow) when the note clearly says 'right' — always code to the highest documented specificity.
Confusing medial epicondylitis (M77.01) with lateral epicondylitis (M77.11, tennis elbow) — the medial epicondyle is the flexor-pronator origin on the inner aspect of the elbow; the lateral epicondyle is the extensor origin on the outer aspect.
Coding M77.01 for a traumatic avulsion or acute injury at the medial epicondyle — enthesopathy codes are for degenerative or overuse conditions, not acute trauma; acute injuries require S-codes.
Failing to add G56.22 when the provider separately documents ulnar nerve irritation or cubital tunnel syndrome in the same right elbow — these are distinct diagnoses and should be coded concurrently.
Using a single code for bilateral disease — there is no bilateral medial epicondylitis code; report M77.01 and M77.02 together when both elbows are affected.

Clinical context

Source · Editorial summary grounded in 7 cited references ↓

M77.01 is the billable code for medial epicondylitis confirmed at the right elbow. Use it when the provider documents right-sided medial epicondyle tenderness, pain with resisted wrist flexion or grip, and a clinical diagnosis consistent with flexor-pronator tendinopathy. It sits under parent code M77.0 (medial epicondylitis, non-billable) alongside M77.00 (unspecified elbow) and M77.02 (left elbow). M77.01 requires documented laterality — if the note says 'right' anywhere in the assessment, this is your code, not M77.00.

The condition is classified under Other enthesopathies (M77) within the Other soft tissue disorders section (M70–M79). The Tabular List includes an Excludes1 for bursitis NOS (M71.9–), and Excludes2 entries for bursitis due to use/overuse/pressure (M70.–), osteophyte (M25.7), and spinal enthesopathy (M46.0–). If imaging reveals an osteophyte at the medial epicondyle, code that separately with M25.7. If concurrent ulnar nerve involvement is documented, consider adding G56.22 (ulnar nerve entrapment, right upper limb) as a secondary diagnosis.

M77.01 groups into MS-DRG 557 (Tendonitis, myositis and bursitis with MCC) or 558 (without MCC) under MS-DRG v43.0. Bilateral presentation requires M77.01 and M77.02 coded together — there is no single bilateral code in the M77.0 family.

Sibling codes

Other billable codes under M77.0 (laterality / anatomic variants).

M77.02

Medial epicondylitis, left elbow

M77.00

Medial epicondylitis, unspecified elbow

Frequently asked questions

Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 7 cited references ↓

01What is the difference between M77.01 and M77.11?

M77.01 is medial epicondylitis (golfer's elbow) of the right elbow — pathology at the flexor-pronator tendon origin on the inner aspect. M77.11 is lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) of the right elbow — pathology at the extensor tendon origin on the outer aspect. The clinical distinction is where tenderness localizes and which movements provoke pain.

02Can I use M77.01 for bilateral medial epicondylitis?

No. There is no single bilateral code in the M77.0 family. When both elbows are affected, report M77.01 (right) and M77.02 (left) together on the same claim, with documentation explicitly confirming both sides.

03When should I use M77.00 instead of M77.01?

Use M77.00 only when the provider's documentation genuinely does not specify which elbow is involved. If the note says 'right' anywhere in the assessment or plan, M77.01 is correct. Query the provider rather than defaulting to unspecified when laterality is clinically obvious but undocumented.

04Does M77.01 require imaging confirmation?

No. M77.01 is a clinical diagnosis supported by history and physical exam — tenderness over the medial epicondyle and pain with resisted wrist flexion are sufficient. Imaging (ultrasound, MRI) adds specificity to documentation and supports medical necessity for certain procedures, but is not required to assign the code.

05What CPT codes are commonly billed with M77.01 for injections?

CPT 20550 (injection into tendon sheath or ligament) is commonly used for image-guided or landmark-guided injections at the common flexor tendon origin. If ultrasound guidance is used, add 76942. Confirm the provider documents the specific injection target and any imaging guidance in the procedure note.

06Is M77.01 appropriate for an acute elbow injury that happened at work?

No. M77.01 is an enthesopathy code for degenerative or repetitive overuse conditions, not acute trauma. A sudden traumatic injury to the medial epicondyle requires an S-code with the appropriate 7th character (A for initial encounter, D for subsequent, S for sequela). For workers' compensation cases with chronic overuse, M77.01 is appropriate when the condition is a cumulative strain rather than a discrete traumatic event.

07Should I code ulnar nerve symptoms separately when documenting M77.01?

Yes, if the provider separately diagnoses ulnar nerve involvement (e.g., cubital tunnel syndrome) at the same right elbow. Add G56.22 (lesion of ulnar nerve, right upper limb) as a secondary code. Do not assume nerve symptoms are bundled into M77.01 — they represent a distinct pathology and should be coded and documented independently.

Sources & references

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

Mira AI Scribe

Mira captures the affected side (right), the provocative exam findings (medial epicondyle tenderness, resisted wrist flexion pain), any imaging results (ultrasound tendon thickening or hypoechogenicity), and the treatment history (physical therapy, bracing, prior injections) to lock in M77.01 rather than the unspecified fallback M77.00 — preventing downcoded specificity that can trigger payer queries or medical necessity denials.

See how Mira captures M77.01 documentation