Alphabetic Index FY2027

M51.A

Other lumbar and lumbosacral annulus fibrosus disc defects

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.A is a non-billable ICD-10-CM code header for other lumbar and lumbosacral annulus fibrosus disc defects. 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.A0 Intervertebral annulus fibrosus defect, lumbar region, unspecified size; M51.A1 Intervertebral annulus fibrosus defect, small, lumbar region; M51.A2 Intervertebral annulus fibrosus defect, large, lumbar region; M51.A3 Intervertebral annulus fibrosus defect, lumbosacral region, unspecified size and 2 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.

Inherited from M51 Thoracic, thoracolumbar, and lumbosacral intervertebral disc disorders
  • 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.A 6