M79.A9

Nontraumatic compartment syndrome of other sites

FY2027Chapter 13: Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue/M70–M79 Other soft tissue disorders

BillableComplete code, valid to report

M79.A9 (also written M79A9) is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for nontraumatic compartment syndrome of other sites. It is part of the FY2027 code set, effective October 1, 2026. It is one of the 52 codes in category M79 (Other and unspecified soft tissue disorders, not elsewhere classified). The Alphabetic Index lists it under 2 entries. Its coding notes include a Code first instruction, 6 Excludes1 entries and 10 Excludes2 entries.

Code first

If the underlying condition listed here is present and known, sequence it first.

Inherited from M79.A Nontraumatic compartment syndrome
  • , if applicable, associated postprocedural complication

Excludes1

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

Inherited from M79.A Nontraumatic compartment syndrome
  • compartment syndrome NOS (T79.A-)
  • fibromyalgia (M79.7)
  • nontraumatic ischemic infarction of muscle (M62.2-)
  • traumatic compartment syndrome (T79.A-)
Inherited from M79 Other and unspecified soft tissue disorders, not elsewhere classified
  • psychogenic rheumatism (F45.8)
  • soft tissue pain, psychogenic (F45.41)

Excludes2

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

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)

Care settings

How CMS programs treat this code. These are CMS claim edits and list entries, not coverage or eligibility rules.

Home Health Primary

Accepted as the primary (principal) diagnosis on a home health claim. The Home Health Grouper assigns it to the Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation clinical group.

Source: CMS Home Health Grouper Software v07.2.26, effective October 1, 2026

Hospital CC

Counts as a complication or comorbidity (CC) when reported as a secondary diagnosis on an inpatient claim. It does not count when the principal diagnosis is one of the 72 codes in its exclusion list. Some MS-DRGs also ignore a CC or MCC that defines the DRG.

Source: CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual v44, effective October 1, 2026, Appendix C

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

Alphabetic Index terms

Terms the official Alphabetic Index lists for this code. 2 entries