Alphabetic Index FY2027

Z96.6

Presence of orthopedic joint implants

FY2027Chapter 21: Factors influencing health status and contact with health services/Z77–Z99 Persons with potential health hazards related to family and personal history and certain conditions influencing health status

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

Z96.6 is a non-billable ICD-10-CM code header for presence of orthopedic joint implants. 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 Z96.60 Presence of unspecified orthopedic joint implant, Z96.61 Presence of artificial shoulder joint, Z96.62 Presence of artificial elbow joint, Z96.63 Presence of artificial wrist joint and 4 more. Its coding notes include a Code also instruction and 2 Excludes2 entries.

Guidelines tip

From the FY2027 Official Guidelines. ICD10Ref adds no rules of its own.

A status code is not the same as a history code. It is not added when the diagnosis code already includes the status.

Guidelines I.C.21.c.3Status Z codesRead the official text

Code also

Two codes may be needed to describe the condition. This note gives no sequencing order.

Also from chapter/block level (1 note)
Inherited from Z77–Z99 Persons with potential health hazards related to family and personal history and certain conditions influencing health status
  • any follow-up examination (Z08-Z09)

Excludes2

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

Inherited from Z96 Presence of other functional implants
  • complications of internal prosthetic devices, implants and grafts (T82-T85)
  • fitting and adjustment of prosthetic and other devices (Z44-Z46)

Notes

Also from chapter/block level (3 notes)
Inherited from Chapter 21 Factors influencing health status and contact with health services
  • Z codes represent reasons for encounters. A corresponding procedure code must accompany a Z code if a procedure is performed. Categories Z00-Z99 are provided for occasions when circumstances other than a disease, injury or external cause classifiable to categories A00-Y89 are recorded as 'diagnoses' or 'problems'. This can arise in two main ways:
    • (a) When a person who may or may not be sick encounters the health services for some specific purpose, such as to receive limited care or service for a current condition, to donate an organ or tissue, to receive prophylactic vaccination (immunization), or to discuss a problem which is in itself not a disease or injury.
    • (b) When some circumstance or problem is present which influences the person's health status but is not in itself a current illness or injury.

More specific codes under Z96.6 8