M77.30

M77.30 identifies a calcaneal spur — a bony outgrowth on the inferior surface of the heel bone — when the affected foot is not specified in the documentation as right or left.

Verified May 8, 2026 · 6 sources ↓

Status: Billable
Chapter: 13
Related CPT: 13
Region: Foot & ankle

Drawn from CDCICD10DataAAPCIcdcodesCMS

Documentation tips

What should appear in the chart to support M77.30.

Source · Editorial brief grounded in 6 cited references ↓

Specify laterality explicitly — 'right,' 'left,' or 'bilateral' — so the coder can use M77.31 or M77.32 instead of M77.30.
Reference the imaging study (plain X-ray of the foot) and summarize the finding: spur size, location on the calcaneal tuberosity, and presence of associated joint space changes.
Document heel pain symptoms separately from any concurrent plantar fasciitis diagnosis; they are distinct conditions and may both be coded.
Record the patient's conservative treatment history (orthotics, physical therapy, NSAIDs) to support medical necessity for procedures such as corticosteroid injection or physical therapy.
If both feet are affected, document bilateral involvement and code each foot separately with M77.31 and M77.32 rather than defaulting to M77.30.

Related CPT procedures

Procedure codes commonly billed with M77.30. Linking the right diagnosis to the right procedure is what establishes medical necessity.

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

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.

99215 $192.39

Highest-level office or outpatient E/M visit for an established patient, qualifying via high-complexity medical decision making or 40–54 minutes of total provider time on the date of service.

20550 $60.46

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

73630 $34.07

Radiologic examination of the foot requiring a minimum of three views, used to evaluate fractures, arthritis, tumors, or structural abnormalities.

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.

20600 $56.11

Needle aspiration and/or injection of a small joint or bursa — such as a finger or toe joint — performed without ultrasound guidance.

99202 View procedure details

99212 View procedure details

97112 View procedure details

Common coding pitfalls

The recurring mistakes coders make with M77.30 and adjacent codes.

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

Billing M77.30 when the note clearly states 'right heel spur' — the laterality-specific code M77.31 is required.
Using parent code M77.3 on the claim — it is non-billable; always append the 5th character (M77.30, M77.31, or M77.32).
Conflating calcaneal spur with plantar fasciitis (M72.2) — they are separate diagnoses; do not substitute one for the other, and do not assume one implies the other.
Coding M25.7- (osteophyte) instead of M77.30 for a heel spur — the M77.3x family is the correct home for calcaneal spurs; M25.7 is excluded at the M77 category level.
Dropping symptom codes for heel pain (M79.671/M79.672) alongside M77.30 after the definitive diagnosis is established — once the spur is confirmed, the symptom code is redundant.

Clinical context

Source · Editorial summary grounded in 6 cited references ↓

Use M77.30 only when the provider's note genuinely omits laterality. If the chart, imaging report, or physical exam identifies the affected side, move to M77.31 (right foot) or M77.32 (left foot). Submitting an unspecified code when laterality is documented is a coding error, not a conservative choice.

Calcaneal spurs are classified under Other enthesopathies (M77), not under the osteophyte category (M25.7). Per the ICD-10-CM Tabular List, M25.7 is an Excludes2 note at the M77 level — meaning if the spur is better described as an osteophyte in another joint context, M25.7- may apply instead. Also note: plantar fasciitis (M72.2) is a separate diagnosis. Calcaneal spurs and plantar fasciitis frequently coexist but are not considered causally related; code both when both are documented.

M77.3 (the parent code) is non-billable — do not use it for claims. M77.30 is the billable fallback when laterality is absent. At follow-up, once the side is documented, update to the specific code. This code groups into MS-DRG 564/565/566 (Other musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diagnoses with/without CC/MCC) under CMS MS-DRG v43.0.

Sibling codes

Other billable codes under M77.3 (laterality / anatomic variants).

M77.31

Calcaneal spur, right foot

M77.32

Calcaneal spur, left foot

Frequently asked questions

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

01When is M77.30 appropriate versus M77.31 or M77.32?

M77.30 is appropriate only when the clinical note does not document which foot is affected. If the provider names the side — even informally, such as 'left heel spur on X-ray' — use M77.31 (right) or M77.32 (left). Unspecified coding when laterality is documented is a coding error.

02Can I code M77.30 alongside plantar fasciitis (M72.2)?

Yes. Calcaneal spur and plantar fasciitis frequently coexist but are distinct diagnoses with no assumed causal relationship per ICD-10-CM. Code both when both are documented and clinically supported.

03Is M77.3 billable for claims submission?

No. M77.3 is a non-billable parent code. Claims require the 5th-character specificity: M77.30 (unspecified), M77.31 (right), or M77.32 (left). Submitting M77.3 will result in rejection.

04Should I use M25.7- instead of M77.30 for a calcaneal spur?

No. The M77 category carries an Excludes2 note for osteophyte (M25.7), meaning they can coexist if both are documented, but a heel spur is correctly coded to M77.3x. Use M25.7- only when a distinct osteophyte at another joint site is separately documented.

05What CPT codes are commonly submitted with M77.30?

Evaluation and management codes (99202–99215) for new or established patients, plain foot X-ray (73630), corticosteroid injection into tendon sheath (20550) or small joint (20600), and physical therapy codes such as therapeutic exercise (97110) and neuromuscular reeducation (97112) are common pairings when medically necessary and documented.

06Can M77.30 be used for bilateral calcaneal spurs?

No. For bilateral spurs, code M77.31 (right) and M77.32 (left) separately. M77.30 denotes unspecified laterality, not bilateral involvement. Bilateral presentation should be explicitly documented by the provider.

07Does a calcaneal spur require radiographic confirmation to code M77.30?

ICD-10-CM does not mandate imaging, but payers frequently require radiographic confirmation of the bony spur for medical necessity. Document the imaging study and findings — including spur location on the calcaneal tuberosity — to support the diagnosis and reduce denial risk.

Sources & references

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

01CDC ICD-10-CM Tabular List 2026 (effective October 1, 2025)
02
icd10data.com
https://www.icd10data.com/ICD10CM/Codes/M00-M99/M70-M79/M77-/M77.30
03
icd10data.com
https://www.icd10data.com/ICD10CM/Codes/M00-M99/M70-M79/M77-/M77.3
04
aapc.com
https://www.aapc.com/codes/icd-10-codes/M77.30
05
icdcodes.ai
https://icdcodes.ai/diagnosis/calcaneal-spur/documentation
06
cms.gov
https://www.cms.gov/medicare/coordination-benefits-recovery/overview/icd-code-lists

Mira AI Scribe

Mira captures the provider's explicit statement of affected side (right, left, or bilateral), the imaging modality confirming the bony spur on the calcaneus, associated symptoms such as heel pain on weight-bearing, and any concurrent plantar fasciitis diagnosis. This prevents defaulting to the unspecified M77.30 when laterality is present in the note — avoiding a specificity downcode and reducing audit exposure.

See how Mira captures M77.30 documentation