Spine ICD-10 codes

Staphylococcal joint infection localized to one or more vertebral articulations, classified under pyogenic (bacterial) arthropathy.

M00.18 identifies direct pyogenic infection of the vertebral joints caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, classified under infectious arthropathies in the musculoskeletal chapter.

Pyogenic arthritis of the vertebrae caused by streptococcal species other than Streptococcus pneumoniae or Group A streptococcus — classified under the infectious arthropathies block of the musculoskeletal chapter.

Bacterial arthritis (pyogenic) affecting the vertebral joints, caused by organisms other than staphylococci, streptococci, pneumococci, or gram-negative bacteria — the specific 'other bacteria' subcategory at the vertebral site.

M01.X8 classifies direct bacterial, viral, fungal, or parasitic infection of the vertebrae where the underlying infectious or parasitic disease is coded elsewhere in ICD-10-CM.

Reactive arthropathy of the vertebral joints occurring as a direct consequence of prior intestinal bypass surgery, classified under post-procedural arthropathies.

Spinal joint inflammation arising as a reactive complication after a dysenteric (bacterial intestinal) infection, classified under postinfective and reactive arthropathies.

Postimmunization arthropathy of the vertebrae — joint inflammation affecting the spine that arises as a reaction following vaccination.

Reiter's disease (reactive arthritis) with spinal involvement, classified under postinfective and reactive arthropathies, with the vertebrae as the documented site of arthropathy.

Reactive arthritis affecting the vertebral joints, triggered by an infection elsewhere in the body — not a direct joint infection itself — and not classifiable under a more specific reactive arthropathy subtype within M02.

Seronegative rheumatoid arthritis affecting the vertebral column, confirmed without detectable rheumatoid factor on laboratory testing.

Rheumatoid bursitis affecting the vertebral region — bursal inflammation along the spine occurring in the context of rheumatoid disease.

M06.38 identifies a rheumatoid nodule located at the vertebrae, classified under other rheumatoid arthritis without rheumatoid factor involvement as the primary driver.

Inflammatory arthritis of the vertebral joints classified as 'other specified' rheumatoid arthritis — meaning the provider has documented a specific RA subtype that does not map to seropositive (M05) or seronegative (M06.0) categories, with the spine as the primary affected site.

Inflammatory arthritis of the spinal vertebrae occurring as a direct manifestation of an underlying inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.

M08.08 identifies juvenile rheumatoid arthritis of unspecified type with documented vertebral involvement in a patient under 16 years of age at onset.

M08.28 identifies systemic-onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (Still's disease, juvenile onset) where the primary documented joint involvement is the vertebrae, in a patient whose disease onset occurred before age 16.

Pauciarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis localized to the vertebrae — inflammatory arthritis in a patient under 16 years old affecting four or fewer joints total, with the spine as the documented site of involvement.

M08.98 identifies juvenile arthritis of unspecified type affecting the vertebrae in a patient under age 16 at disease onset, where the specific arthritis subtype has not been determined or documented.

Idiopathic gout affecting the vertebral joints, with no identified secondary cause such as drug exposure, lead toxicity, or renal impairment.

Gout affecting the vertebrae caused by lead toxicity, classified under secondary gout due to a toxic substance rather than idiopathic or metabolic origin.

Acute gout of the vertebral column caused by a medication's adverse effect on uric acid metabolism, classified under drug-induced gout at the spinal site.

Gout affecting the vertebrae that is directly attributable to underlying renal impairment, classified as a secondary inflammatory arthropathy under the M10.3 subcategory.

M10.48 identifies other secondary gout localized to the vertebrae — meaning gout caused by an underlying condition (not idiopathic) that has produced urate crystal deposition in the spinal joints or surrounding vertebral structures.

Hydroxyapatite deposition disease affecting the vertebrae, characterized by calcium phosphate crystal accumulation within or around spinal structures that provokes an inflammatory response.

Calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition in the fibrocartilaginous structures of the vertebral column, occurring as a heritable (familial) form of chondrocalcinosis.

Calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition affecting the cartilaginous structures of the vertebral column, classified as 'other' chondrocalcinosis when it does not meet criteria for familial (M11.18) or hydroxyapatite (M11.08) subtypes.

M11.88 classifies crystal-induced joint disease affecting the vertebrae when the specific crystal type does not fit gout (M10), calcium pyrophosphate deposition (M11.1–M11.2), or hydroxyapatite deposition (M11.0) — a residual 'other specified' category for spinal crystal arthropathy.

Kashin-Beck disease affecting the vertebral joints — a chronic, endemic osteochondropathy causing abnormal bone and cartilage development in the spine.

Neuropathic osteoarthropathy affecting the vertebral joints, coded when Charcot joint destruction is localized to the spine and is not attributable to diabetes mellitus or neurosyphilis.

Vertebral joint disease arising as a manifestation of another underlying condition that is classified elsewhere in ICD-10-CM — the spinal articulations are the affected site, but the root cause is a distinct, separately coded disease.

M24.28 classifies a non-traumatic disorder of one or more spinal ligaments that does not fall under a more specific vertebral instability or derangement code.

M25.18 identifies a joint fistula at a musculoskeletal site that does not map to any of the named joint locations in the M25.11–M25.17 subcategories. The tabular list explicitly includes fistula of the vertebrae as an applicable example under this code.

M25.78 identifies osteophyte formation specifically at the vertebrae — bony projections that develop along vertebral end plates or facet joints as a result of degenerative joint changes.

Postural kyphosis with no spinal region documented — an abnormal thoracic or cervical rounding caused by habitual positioning or muscular imbalance, coded when the operative note or clinical record does not specify the vertebral segment involved.

Postural kyphosis localized to the cervicothoracic junction (C7–T1 region), caused by habitual or sustained poor posture rather than a structural or secondary pathology.

Excessive posterior curvature of the thoracic spine caused by habitual poor posture rather than structural deformity, vertebral pathology, or an underlying systemic condition.

Postural kyphosis localized to the thoracolumbar junction — an acquired, posture-driven excessive posterior curvature spanning the T10–L2 vertebral region, not attributable to a structural deformity, congenital defect, or prior procedure.

M40.10 identifies other secondary kyphosis — an abnormal posterior spinal curvature caused by an underlying disease or condition — when the specific spinal region affected is not documented.

Acquired posterior curvature of the cervical spine arising from a non-postural, non-congenital underlying cause — classified as 'other secondary' to distinguish it from postural kyphosis and from conditions with their own dedicated codes.

Secondary kyphosis localized to the cervicothoracic junction (C7–T1 region), arising from an identifiable underlying disease process rather than postural habit or congenital deformity.

M40.14 identifies kyphosis of the thoracic spine that is secondary to an underlying condition — not postural in origin and not congenital, postprocedural, or part of a kyphoscoliosis pattern.

M40.15 classifies acquired kyphosis of the thoracolumbar junction (T10-L2 vertebral segment) that results from an identifiable underlying condition other than postural habit or congenital malformation.

Loss of normal lumbar lordosis resulting in a straight or reversed sagittal spinal alignment, coded here when the specific spinal region is not documented.

Loss of normal lumbar lordosis localized to the thoracolumbar junction (approximately T10–L2), producing a straightened or reversed sagittal contour at that spinal segment.

Flatback syndrome localized to the lumbar region — loss of the normal lumbar lordosis resulting in a straightened or hypolordotic lumbar spine segment.

Flatback syndrome localized to the lumbosacral region — loss of the normal lumbar lordosis at the L5-S1 junction, producing a straightened or reversed sagittal profile.

Postural lordosis with no specific spinal region documented — an acquired, posture-driven exaggeration of the normal inward spinal curve, coded when the clinical note does not identify the affected region (thoracolumbar, lumbar, or lumbosacral).

Acquired anterior spinal curvature localized to the thoracolumbar junction (T10–L2 region) that arises from postural habits rather than structural or congenital deformity.

Acquired exaggeration of the lumbar inward curve (hyperlordosis) attributable to posture rather than a structural vertebral abnormality or congenital cause.

Acquired, posture-driven hyperlordosis localized to the lumbosacral junction (L5–S1 region), distinguished from congenital lordosis and from lordosis caused by prior surgery.

M40.50 identifies lordosis (excessive inward spinal curvature) that is unspecified in both type and anatomic site. Use it only when documentation fails to name either the spinal region or the etiology of the curvature.

Abnormal anterior curvature (hyperlordosis or loss of normal curve) affecting the thoracolumbar junction — the transitional zone where the thoracic and lumbar spine meet — with etiology not further specified in the clinical record.

M40.56 identifies lumbar lordosis of unspecified type — meaning the provider has documented exaggerated inward curvature of the lumbar spine but has not specified whether the cause is postural, positional, or associated with an underlying condition.

Unspecified lordosis localized to the lumbosacral region, representing an abnormal anterior curvature at the L5-S1 junction without a documented specific etiology or subtype.

Infantile idiopathic scoliosis with no documented spinal region specified — used when the affected vertebral segment has not been identified or recorded in the clinical note.

Idiopathic lateral spinal curvature localized to the cervical region, diagnosed in a child from birth through age 3, with no underlying congenital vertebral anomaly.

Infantile idiopathic scoliosis localized to the cervicothoracic region (the junction of the cervical and thoracic spine), diagnosed in children from birth through 3 years of age with no identified structural or congenital cause.

Idiopathic lateral spinal curvature with thoracic region involvement, diagnosed in a child from birth through age three, with no identifiable underlying structural or neurological cause.

Infantile idiopathic scoliosis localized to the thoracolumbar region, occurring in children from birth through age 2, with no identifiable underlying cause.