M92.00

Juvenile osteochondrosis affecting the humerus when the treating clinician has not specified whether the right or left arm is involved. This is the unspecified-laterality fallback under parent code M92.0.

Verified May 8, 2026 · 2 sources ↓

Status: Billable
Chapter: 13
Related CPT: 5
Region: Shoulder

Drawn from CDCICD

Documentation tips

What should appear in the chart to support M92.00.

Source · Editorial brief grounded in 2 cited references ↓

Record the affected arm by name (right or left) in every note — this single step allows upgrade from M92.00 to M92.01 or M92.02 and avoids a medical necessity flag.
Specify the exact humeral site involved (humeral head vs. capitellum) to support clinical differentiation between Panner disease and other osteochondroses.
Document the patient's skeletal maturity — bone age imaging or growth plate status — to justify the 'juvenile' classification and defend against age-based claim edits.
Record prior conservative management (activity restriction, splinting, physical therapy) when present, as payers may require it before approving advanced imaging or surgical intervention.
Note any radiographic or MRI findings (fragmentation, sclerosis, flattening of the ossification center) that confirm osteochondrosis rather than a traumatic or infectious etiology.

Related CPT procedures

Procedure codes commonly billed with M92.00. Linking the right diagnosis to the right procedure is what establishes medical necessity.

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

73060 $32.06

Radiologic examination of the humerus (upper arm bone), requiring a minimum of 2 views.

73080 $33.07

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

73221 $205.08

MRI of any upper extremity joint — shoulder, elbow, or wrist — performed without contrast material.

27130 $1,162.02

Primary total hip arthroplasty replacing both the acetabular socket and proximal femoral components with prosthetic implants, with or without bone graft.

73223 View procedure details

Common coding pitfalls

The recurring mistakes coders make with M92.00 and adjacent codes.

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

Defaulting to M92.00 when laterality is actually documented elsewhere in the chart — always cross-check the physical exam and imaging report before settling on the unspecified code.
Confusing humeral osteochondrosis (M92.0x) with radial/ulnar osteochondrosis (M92.1x); confirm the imaging or operative note identifies the humerus specifically.
Using M92.00 for an adult patient; if the physis is closed and the diagnosis is degenerative in nature, a different code category applies.
Billing M92.00 as the primary diagnosis for an imaging order without supporting clinical documentation of juvenile osteochondrosis — payers may deny advanced imaging without a documented clinical basis.

Clinical context

Source · Editorial summary grounded in 2 cited references ↓

M92.00 applies to pediatric patients with osteochondrosis of the humeral epiphysis — avascular necrosis or disrupted ossification affecting the humeral head or capitellum — when the operative or clinical note does not document which arm is affected. The two named conditions under M92.0 are Legg-Calvé-Perthes-analog processes at the shoulder and Panner disease (osteochondrosis of the capitellum), both diagnosed in skeletally immature patients.

Laterality is almost always known in a clinical encounter, so M92.00 should be a rare selection. If the record clearly names the side — even in a subjective complaint — use M92.01 (right arm) or M92.02 (left arm) instead. Reserve M92.00 for the uncommon scenario where the treating provider genuinely cannot or does not specify laterality, such as a telehealth consult based on outside records that omit side.

This code lives within M92 (Other juvenile osteochondrosis), which excludes M91 codes for hip and pelvis. Confirm the site is truly the humerus; osteochondrosis of the radial head or ulna codes to M92.1x, and hand involvement maps to M92.2x. Age is implicitly pediatric — if the patient is skeletally mature, reconsider whether a different category applies.

Sibling codes

Other billable codes under M92.0 (laterality / anatomic variants).

M92.02

Juvenile osteochondrosis of humerus, left arm

M92.01

Juvenile osteochondrosis of humerus, right arm

Frequently asked questions

Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 2 cited references ↓

01When should I use M92.00 instead of M92.01 or M92.02?

Use M92.00 only when no documentation — including the physical exam, imaging report, and provider narrative — identifies which arm is affected. If either arm is named anywhere in the encounter record, use M92.01 (right) or M92.02 (left).

02Does M92.00 cover Panner disease?

Yes. Panner disease (juvenile osteochondrosis of the capitellum) maps to M92.0x. Use M92.00 if laterality is unspecified, M92.01 for the right capitellum, or M92.02 for the left.

03Is M92.00 valid for adult patients?

The M92 category is implicitly pediatric ('juvenile'). If the patient is skeletally mature, the diagnosis should be reconsidered and a more appropriate code category selected. Applying M92.00 to an adult patient is likely to trigger a medical necessity review.

04What is the parent code M92.0 and can I bill it?

M92.0 (Juvenile osteochondrosis of humerus) is a non-billable header code. You must use one of its child codes — M92.00, M92.01, or M92.02 — for claim submission.

05Which imaging CPT codes pair with M92.00?

Radiograph of the elbow (73080) or humerus (73060) for initial evaluation; MRI of the elbow without contrast (73221) or with and without contrast (73223) when radiographs are inconclusive or surgical planning is needed.

06Can M92.00 be used for bilateral humeral osteochondrosis?

No. The M92.0x subcategory does not include a bilateral code. If bilateral involvement is documented, code each side separately: M92.01 for the right arm and M92.02 for the left arm. Do not use M92.00 as a bilateral proxy.

Sources & references

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

01CDC ICD-10-CM Tabular List 2026 — https://www.icd10data.com/ICD10CM/Codes/M00-M99/M91-M94/M92-/M92.00
02ICD10data.com M92 code tree — https://www.icd10data.com/ICD10CM/Codes/M00-M99/M91-M94/M92-

Mira AI Scribe

The Mira AI Scribe captures the patient's age and skeletal maturity status, the named arm (right or left), the specific humeral site (head, capitellum), imaging findings (fragmentation, sclerosis, joint space changes), and any prior conservative care. This prevents automatic downgrade to the unspecified laterality code M92.00 and reduces audit exposure when billing advanced imaging or surgical procedures.

See how Mira captures M92.00 documentation