M92.70

M92.70 identifies juvenile osteochondrosis of the metatarsus when foot laterality has not been documented. It captures avascular necrosis or osteochondrosis of the metatarsal bones in a skeletally immature patient, including both Freiberg disease (second metatarsal) and Iselin disease (fifth metatarsal), when the provider's note does not specify right or left foot.

Verified May 8, 2026 · 5 sources ↓

Status: Billable
Chapter: 13
Related CPT: 9
Region: Foot & ankle

Drawn from CDCicd10data.com 2026AAPCNIHICD

Documentation tips

What should appear in the chart to support M92.70.

Source · Editorial brief grounded in 5 cited references ↓

Record laterality explicitly — 'right foot' or 'left foot' — in every note to justify M92.71 or M92.72 instead of the unspecified M92.70.
Specify the metatarsal involved (second vs. fifth) and the corresponding eponym (Freiberg or Iselin) to support clinical specificity and future audits.
Document imaging findings — metatarsal head flattening, sclerosis, joint space changes, or apophyseal irregularity — that confirm osteochondrosis rather than stress fracture or sesamoid pathology.
Record the patient's skeletal maturity status or age; this is a juvenile osteochondrosis code and should not be applied once skeletal maturity is established.
Note any prior conservative treatment (orthotics, activity restriction, offloading boot) to justify escalation to surgical planning or advanced imaging.

Related CPT procedures

Procedure codes commonly billed with M92.70. Linking the right diagnosis to the right procedure is what establishes medical necessity.

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

28300 $611.24

Osteotomy of the calcaneus (heel bone) to correct foot alignment, with or without internal fixation — encompasses Dwyer, Chambers, and sliding-type procedures.

28308 $585.52

Osteotomy of a lesser metatarsal (any metatarsal except the first), with optional lengthening, shortening, or angular deformity correction, performed per bone.

28309 $835.69

Osteotomy of multiple metatarsals performed during a single operative session, typically to correct forefoot deformity, transfer metatarsalgia, or address pathologic alignment across more than one ray.

73630 $34.07

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

73620 $28.72

Radiologic examination of the foot, two views — used to evaluate bone and joint abnormalities including fractures, arthritis, and structural deformities.

29899 $921.20

Arthroscopic surgical fusion of the ankle's tibiotalar and fibulotalar joints, performed through small portals with internal fixation to permanently eliminate motion at the joint.

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.

28899 View procedure details

97530 View procedure details

Common coding pitfalls

The recurring mistakes coders make with M92.70 and adjacent codes.

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

Defaulting to M92.70 when laterality is present elsewhere in the chart — check the imaging report, physical therapy referral, and radiology order before accepting unspecified.
Applying M92.70 to adult patients: this is a juvenile osteochondrosis code; Freiberg osteochondrosis in a skeletally mature patient maps elsewhere in the tabular list.
Confusing M92.7x with fifth metatarsal stress fracture codes (S92.35x-) or Jones fracture codes — osteochondrosis and acute fracture are distinct diagnoses requiring separate documentation support.
Failing to query the provider when only one foot is imaged or treated; single-side workup almost always implies a specific laterality that should be documented.

Clinical context

Source · Editorial summary grounded in 5 cited references ↓

M92.70 sits under parent code M92.7 (Juvenile osteochondrosis of metatarsus), which carries Applicable To notes covering osteochondrosis of the second metatarsal (Freiberg) and fifth metatarsal (Iselin). Use M92.70 only when the operative report, clinic note, or imaging order fails to identify which foot is affected. The moment laterality is documented — even in a follow-up note — step up to M92.71 (right foot) or M92.72 (left foot). Payers increasingly flag unspecified laterality codes for pediatric musculoskeletal diagnoses, so M92.70 should function as a fallback, not a default.

This code applies to pediatric and adolescent patients presenting with forefoot pain, localized metatarsal head tenderness, or imaging findings of metatarsal epiphyseal irregularity, sclerosis, or collapse. Freiberg osteochondrosis typically affects the second metatarsal head in adolescent females; Iselin involves the apophysis of the fifth metatarsal base in younger athletes. Both conditions are captured under M92.7x. M92.70 does not distinguish between them — clinical documentation or a separate specificity note must do that work.

M92.70 falls within the Chondropathies section (M91–M94), which carries a Type 1 Excludes for postprocedural chondropathies (M96.-). Do not code M92.70 alongside an M96.- code for the same condition. No 7th-character extension applies to this M-code category.

Sibling codes

Other billable codes under M92.7 (laterality / anatomic variants).

M92.72

Juvenile osteochondrosis of metatarsus, left foot

M92.71

Juvenile osteochondrosis of metatarsus, right foot

Frequently asked questions

Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 5 cited references ↓

01When should I use M92.70 instead of M92.71 or M92.72?

Use M92.70 only when the provider's documentation genuinely omits foot laterality. If laterality appears anywhere in the encounter — imaging report, physical exam, or referral letter — assign M92.71 (right) or M92.72 (left) instead.

02Does M92.70 cover both Freiberg disease and Iselin disease?

Yes. The Applicable To note under parent M92.7 lists both osteochondrosis of the second metatarsal (Freiberg) and fifth metatarsal (Iselin). M92.70 captures either when foot side is unspecified.

03Can M92.70 be used for an adult patient with Freiberg disease?

No. M92.7x is a juvenile osteochondrosis code and applies to skeletally immature patients. Freiberg disease presenting or persisting in a skeletally mature adult should be reviewed for the most appropriate alternative code in the tabular list.

04Is a 7th-character extension required for M92.70?

No. M-codes in the musculoskeletal chapter do not use 7th-character extensions. The A/D/S encounter designations apply to injury S-codes, not to M92.70.

05What imaging documentation best supports M92.70 on a claim?

X-ray or MRI findings of metatarsal head flattening, epiphyseal sclerosis, subchondral collapse, or apophyseal irregularity at the second or fifth metatarsal directly support this diagnosis and should be referenced in the clinical note.

06Should M92.70 be coded alongside a metatarsal stress fracture code?

Only if both conditions are independently documented and affect different structures or timeframes. Osteochondrosis and acute traumatic fracture are distinct diagnoses; do not assume one implies the other without explicit provider documentation.

07Which CPT procedures are most commonly linked to M92.70?

Diagnostic foot X-rays (73620, 73630), metatarsal osteotomy procedures (28300, 28308, 28309), and physical therapy codes (97110, 97530) are the most common procedural pairings depending on whether management is conservative or surgical.

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.cdc.gov/nchs/icd/icd-10-cm/files.html
02icd10data.com 2026 entry for M92.70 — https://www.icd10data.com/ICD10CM/Codes/M00-M99/M91-M94/M92-/M92.70
03AAPC Codify entry for M92.70 — https://www.aapc.com/codes/icd-10-codes/M92.70
04NIH VSAC code system entry for M92.70 — https://vsac.nlm.nih.gov/context/cs/codesystem/ICD10CM/version/2023/code/M92.70/info
05ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting FY 2025 — https://www.cms.gov/files/document/fy-2025-icd-10-cm-coding-guidelines.pdf

Mira AI Scribe

Mira's AI scribe captures foot laterality, the specific metatarsal involved, patient age, imaging findings (epiphyseal sclerosis, head flattening, apophyseal irregularity), and any prior conservative management from the encounter note. That documentation drives assignment of M92.71 or M92.72 instead of the unspecified M92.70 — preventing a laterality-flag on claim review and keeping the record audit-ready if surgical intervention is planned.

See how Mira captures M92.70 documentation