M91.82 identifies juvenile osteochondrosis of the hip and pelvis — left side — that does not fall under a more specific named condition such as Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease or pseudocoxalgia.
Verified May 8, 2026 · 4 sources ↓
- Status
- Billable
- Chapter
- 13
- Related CPT
- 9
- Region
- Hip
Documentation tips
What should appear in the chart to support M91.82.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in 4 cited references ↓
- Explicitly document 'left' hip or pelvis in the assessment — M91.82 requires laterality and will not support an unspecified-leg claim.
- Record the patient's age and skeletal maturity status; M91 is reserved for juvenile (skeletally immature) patients, so bone-age or growth-plate documentation strengthens the diagnosis.
- Note the specific anatomical site within the hip/pelvis (femoral head, acetabulum, iliac crest apophysis, ischial apophysis) to distinguish from named juvenile osteochondroses that have their own codes.
- Document imaging findings — plain radiograph findings, MRI signal changes, or fragmentation of an ossification center — that confirm osteochondrosis rather than another cause of pediatric hip pain.
- Confirm the diagnosis is not Legg-Calvé-Perthes (M91.12), pseudocoxalgia (M91.32), or coxa plana (M91.22) before assigning M91.82; payer audits may flag M91.82 if clinical notes describe a named condition.
Related CPT procedures
Procedure codes commonly billed with M91.82. 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 M91.82 and adjacent codes.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in CDC ICD-10-CM tabular guidance, AAOS coding references, and cited references ↓
- Assigning M91.82 when the documentation actually describes Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease — that maps to M91.12 (left leg), not M91.82.
- Using M91.82 for an adult patient: the M91 category is juvenile osteochondrosis; if the patient is skeletally mature, review whether a different code category applies.
- Defaulting to M91.80 (unspecified leg) when the provider has clearly documented 'left hip' in the note — laterality is available and must be coded to the highest specificity.
- Confusing M91.82 with M93.92 (unspecified osteochondropathy, left leg) — M91.82 is site-specific to hip and pelvis, while M93.9x is a catch-all; use M91.82 when the hip/pelvis site is documented.
- Failing to exclude slipped upper femoral epiphysis (M93.0x), which is explicitly excluded from the M91 category and codes separately.
Clinical context
Source · Editorial summary grounded in 4 cited references ↓
M91.82 belongs to the M91.8 subcategory ('Other juvenile osteochondrosis of hip and pelvis') and carries left-leg laterality. Use it when the documented diagnosis is a juvenile osteochondrosis of the hip or pelvis that cannot be classified to a named entity within M91. Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease codes to M91.1x; pseudocoxalgia codes to M91.3x; coxa plana codes to M91.2x; coxa magna codes to M91.4x. If none of those named conditions apply, M91.82 is the correct left-sided code.
This is a pediatric and adolescent diagnosis — the category M91 is expressly for juvenile osteochondrosis. The underlying pathophysiology involves disrupted endochondral ossification at the femoral head or pelvic apophysis during skeletal growth. Typical clinical presentation includes groin or anterior hip pain, antalgic gait, and limited internal rotation in a skeletally immature patient. Imaging (X-ray, MRI) should confirm involvement of the left hip or pelvis before assigning this code.
If laterality is not documented, drop to M91.80 (unspecified leg). If the condition affects both hips, you may need to report M91.81 and M91.82 together or query the provider. Slipped upper femoral epiphysis (nontraumatic) is excluded from M91 entirely — it codes to M93.0x.
Sibling codes
Other billable codes under M91.8 (laterality / anatomic variants).
Frequently asked questions
Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 4 cited references ↓
01What distinguishes M91.82 from M91.12 (Legg-Calvé-Perthes, left leg)?
02Can M91.82 be used for adult patients?
03When should I use M91.80 instead of M91.82?
04Is slipped upper femoral epiphysis (SUFE) coded under M91.82?
05What imaging documentation supports M91.82?
06Can M91.81 and M91.82 be reported together on the same claim?
07What CPT procedures are commonly linked to M91.82?
Sources & references
Editorial content was developed using the following public sources. Last verified May 8, 2026.
Mira AI Scribe
Mira captures the affected side (left), the specific anatomical site within the hip or pelvis, the patient's skeletal maturity, and imaging findings such as fragmentation or signal change at the ossification center. That detail prevents defaulting to the unspecified-leg code M91.80 and protects against audit findings that flag a named osteochondrosis (e.g., Perthes) coded under the 'other' bucket.
See how Mira captures M91.82 documentation