A bony outgrowth (osteophyte) arising from the calcaneus of the left foot, classified under enthesopathies and other soft tissue disorders of the lower extremity.

Documentation tips

What should appear in the chart to support M77.32.

Source · Editorial brief grounded in 5 cited references ↓

• Explicitly state 'left foot' in the assessment — do not leave laterality implied by lateralized exam findings alone.
• Reference the imaging study by type (e.g., weight-bearing left foot X-ray) and summarize key findings: spur size, location (plantar vs. posterior calcaneal), and any associated joint space changes.
• Document the patient's symptoms — heel pain onset, duration, aggravating activities, and functional limitation — to establish medical necessity, especially before injection or surgical intervention.
• When plantar fasciitis co-exists, document it as a separate, concurrent diagnosis so both M77.32 and M72.2 can be legitimately reported on the same encounter.
• Record prior conservative management (orthotics, PT, NSAIDs, corticosteroid injections) in the note; payers frequently require evidence of failed conservative care before approving procedures like heel spur excision (CPT 28119).

Related CPT procedures

Procedure codes commonly billed with M77.32. 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 M77.32 and adjacent codes.

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

• Using M77.30 (unspecified foot) when the note clearly identifies the left foot — this is a specificity downgrade and an audit flag.
• Coding M77.32 instead of M72.2 when the provider's diagnosis is plantar fasciitis; these are separate conditions and should not be used interchangeably even when the patient has both.
• Assigning M77.32 for a Haglund's deformity without clinical confirmation that a discrete calcaneal spur is present — Haglund's is a posterosuperior bony prominence, not a plantar spur, and may require a different code.
• Failing to add M72.2 as a secondary code when the provider documents both plantar fasciitis and a heel spur on the same left foot encounter, leaving a billable diagnosis on the table.

Clinical context

Source · Editorial summary grounded in 5 cited references ↓

Sibling codes

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