ICD-10-CM · Elbow

M92.11

Juvenile osteochondrosis affecting the radius and/or ulna of the right arm, classified under other juvenile osteochondroses (M92) in ICD-10-CM Chapter 13.

Verified May 8, 2026 · 4 sources ↓

Status: Billable
Chapter: 13
Related CPT: 7
Region: Elbow

Drawn from CDCICD10DataAAPCFindacode

Documentation tips

What should appear in the chart to support M92.11.

Source · Editorial brief grounded in 4 cited references ↓

Document laterality explicitly as 'right' — M92.11 is only valid when the right side is named; 'bilateral' requires M92.11 + M92.12.
Record the patient's age and skeletal maturity status (open physes on imaging) to support a juvenile osteochondrosis diagnosis over an adult chondropathy.
Specify the anatomic site within the forearm: radial head (Brailsford osteochondrosis) vs. lower ulna (Burns osteochondrosis) — both map to M92.11, but clinical specificity strengthens audit defense.
Include imaging findings: radiographic evidence of epiphyseal irregularity, fragmentation, sclerosis, or flattening at the right radial head or distal ulna.
Note any functional limitations (restricted forearm rotation, elbow flexion/extension deficits) to support medical necessity for imaging orders or surgical authorization.

Related CPT procedures

Procedure codes commonly billed with M92.11. Linking the right diagnosis to the right procedure is what establishes medical necessity.

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

24000 $461.27

Open surgical incision into the elbow joint for exploration, drainage of fluid or infection, or removal of loose bodies such as bone fragments or cartilage debris.

24105 $358.06

Surgical removal of the olecranon bursa at the posterior elbow, performed as a complete excision rather than drainage or aspiration.

24130 $485.32

Surgical removal of the radial head at the elbow, performed through an open approach to the joint.

24147 $596.54

Partial excision of the olecranon process of the ulna at the elbow, removing a portion of that bony prominence

29830 $439.22

Diagnostic arthroscopy of the elbow joint with or without synovial biopsy, performed for evaluation of intra-articular pathology.

73090 View procedure details

73092 View procedure details

Common coding pitfalls

The recurring mistakes coders make with M92.11 and adjacent codes.

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

Defaulting to M92.10 (unspecified arm) when the provider has clearly documented right-sided involvement — always use M92.11 if laterality is stated.
Confusing M92.11 with elbow osteochondritis dissecans (M93.02x), which is a separate condition involving the articular cartilage and subchondral bone; confirm the provider's diagnosis before selecting the code.
Applying M92.11 to adult patients — 'juvenile' osteochondrosis implies skeletally immature patients; if physes are closed, query the provider for the correct diagnosis code.
Treating M92.11 as a fracture or trauma code and appending a 7th-character extension — M-codes do not use 7th-character extensions.

Clinical context

Source · Editorial summary grounded in 4 cited references ↓

M92.11 captures avascular necrosis or disrupted endochondral ossification at the radial head (Brailsford disease) or the lower ulna (Burns disease) in a skeletally immature patient on the right side. These are distinct eponymic conditions grouped under the same billable code. The diagnosis is typically made in children and adolescents presenting with right forearm or elbow pain, limited pronation/supination, or incidental imaging findings of irregular ossification, fragmentation, or flattening at the radial head or distal ulnar epiphysis.

M92.11 is a right-side-specific billable code. Its siblings are M92.10 (unspecified arm) and M92.12 (left arm). Never default to M92.10 when the provider has documented laterality — unspecified codes invite payer scrutiny and can trigger medical necessity denials in pediatric orthopedic claims.

This code sits within the M92 'Other juvenile osteochondrosis' category, which excludes the classic epiphyseal osteochondroses assigned elsewhere (e.g., Legg-Calvé-Perthes at M91, Osgood-Schlatter at M92.5). If the clinical notes reference the radial head or lower ulna by their eponyms, verify no separate more-specific code applies before assigning M92.11.

Sibling codes

Other billable codes under M92.1 (laterality / anatomic variants).

M92.10

Juvenile osteochondrosis of radius and ulna, unspecified arm

M92.12

Juvenile osteochondrosis of radius and ulna, left arm

Frequently asked questions

Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 4 cited references ↓

01What is the difference between M92.11 and M92.10?

M92.10 is the unspecified-arm version and should only be used when laterality is genuinely undocumented. M92.11 is right-arm specific and is the correct code whenever the provider has named the right side.

02Does M92.11 cover both Brailsford disease and Burns disease?

Yes. The ICD-10-CM tabular lists both 'osteochondrosis (juvenile) of radial head [Brailsford]' and 'osteochondrosis (juvenile) of lower ulna [Burns]' as inclusion terms under the M92.1 parent, so both eponyms map to M92.11 for right-arm involvement.

03Can M92.11 be used for adult patients who had juvenile osteochondrosis as a child?

Not for active disease in an adult. If the patient is skeletally mature and the condition represents a sequela of prior juvenile osteochondrosis, query the provider — a late-effect or degenerative code may be more appropriate than M92.11.

04Should I code both M92.11 and M92.12 if the condition is bilateral?

Yes. There is no single bilateral code for M92.1. Code M92.11 for the right arm and M92.12 for the left arm when bilateral involvement is documented.

05What CPT codes are commonly paired with M92.11 in the orthopedic setting?

Forearm radiographs (73090) and pediatric upper-extremity imaging (73092) are the most common diagnostic pairings. Surgical procedures such as elbow arthrotomy (24000) or loose body removal (24105) may be linked if operative intervention is warranted.

06Is a 7th character required for M92.11?

No. M92.11 is a Chapter 13 M-code and does not use 7th-character extensions. Seventh characters (A, D, S) apply to injury codes in Chapter 19 (S- and T-codes), not to musculoskeletal disease codes.

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/M91-M94/M92-/M92.11
03
aapc.com
https://www.aapc.com/codes/icd-10-codes/M92.1
04
findacode.com
https://www.findacode.com/icd-10-cm/m92.11-juvenile-osteochondrosis-radius-ulna-right-icd10cm-code.html

Mira AI Scribe

Mira captures the documented laterality (right arm), the affected bone (radial head or lower ulna), the patient's age and open-physis status from imaging, and any described functional deficits in forearm rotation or elbow motion. Locking in these details at the point of encounter prevents a downcode to the nonspecific M92.10 and eliminates the documentation gap that triggers payer medical-necessity queries on pediatric orthopedic claims.

See how Mira captures M92.11 documentation