Alphabetic Index FY2027

M51

Thoracic, thoracolumbar, and lumbosacral intervertebral disc disorders

FY2027Chapter 13: Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue/M50–M54 Other dorsopathies

Non-billable headerNot valid on its own. Use one of the more specific codes under it.

M51 is a non-billable ICD-10-CM code category for thoracic, thoracolumbar, and lumbosacral intervertebral disc disorders. Report a more specific code from it instead. It is part of the FY2027 code set, effective October 1, 2026. The more specific codes under it are M51.0 Thoracic, thoracolumbar and lumbosacral intervertebral disc disorders with myelopathy; M51.1 Thoracic, thoracolumbar and lumbosacral intervertebral disc disorders with radiculopathy; M51.2 Other thoracic, thoracolumbar and lumbosacral intervertebral disc displacement; M51.3 Other thoracic, thoracolumbar and lumbosacral intervertebral disc degeneration and 4 more. Its coding notes include 2 Excludes1 entries and 12 Excludes2 entries.

Excludes1

Not coded here. The listed conditions generally should not be reported together.

Also from chapter/block level (2 notes)
Inherited from M50–M54 Other dorsopathies
  • current injury - see injury of spine by body region
  • discitis NOS (M46.4-)

Excludes2

Not included here. Both codes may be reported if the patient has both conditions.

This code
  • cervical and cervicothoracic disc disorders (M50.-)
  • sacral and sacrococcygeal disorders (M53.3)
Also from chapter/block level (10 notes)
Inherited from Chapter 13 Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue
  • arthropathic psoriasis (L40.5-)
  • certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
  • certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
  • compartment syndrome (traumatic) (T79.A-)
  • complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
  • congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
  • endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
  • injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
  • neoplasms (C00-D49)
  • symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)

Notes

Also from chapter/block level (1 note)
Inherited from Chapter 13 Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue
  • Use an external cause code following the code for the musculoskeletal condition, if applicable, to identify the cause of the musculoskeletal condition

More specific codes under M51 8