Resources · ICD-10 · Spine
Spine ICD-10 codes an orthopedic practice actually uses
Billable FY2026 codes for the spine from the official ICD-10-CM release, organized the way calls come in — arthritis, soft tissue, and injuries — with the laterality and 7th-character rules that keep claims clean.
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Spine diagnosis codes, from the official FY2026 files
Spine coding spans degenerative families (M47 spondylosis, M48 stenosis, M50/M51 disc disorders), the symptom codes in M54 that start most episodes, and deformity codes in M43. Two rules dominate: pick the spinal region correctly, and know that plain M54.5 stopped being billable in 2021 — the low back pain family split into M54.50/M54.51/M54.59.
Every code below is billable in FY2026. Descriptions are reproduced verbatim from the official ICD-10-CM release (NCHS/CMS — public domain). 246 codes shown on this page.
Spondylosis (M47)
| Code | Official FY2026 description |
|---|---|
| M47.011 | Anterior spinal artery compression syndromes, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M47.012 | Anterior spinal artery compression syndromes, cervical region |
| M47.013 | Anterior spinal artery compression syndromes, cervicothoracic region |
| M47.014 | Anterior spinal artery compression syndromes, thoracic region |
| M47.015 | Anterior spinal artery compression syndromes, thoracolumbar region |
| M47.016 | Anterior spinal artery compression syndromes, lumbar region |
| M47.019 | Anterior spinal artery compression syndromes, site unspecified |
| M47.021 | Vertebral artery compression syndromes, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M47.022 | Vertebral artery compression syndromes, cervical region |
| M47.029 | Vertebral artery compression syndromes, site unspecified |
| M47.10 | Other spondylosis with myelopathy, site unspecified |
| M47.11 | Other spondylosis with myelopathy, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M47.12 | Other spondylosis with myelopathy, cervical region |
| M47.13 | Other spondylosis with myelopathy, cervicothoracic region |
| M47.14 | Other spondylosis with myelopathy, thoracic region |
| M47.15 | Other spondylosis with myelopathy, thoracolumbar region |
| M47.16 | Other spondylosis with myelopathy, lumbar region |
| M47.20 | Other spondylosis with radiculopathy, site unspecified |
| M47.21 | Other spondylosis with radiculopathy, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M47.22 | Other spondylosis with radiculopathy, cervical region |
| M47.23 | Other spondylosis with radiculopathy, cervicothoracic region |
| M47.24 | Other spondylosis with radiculopathy, thoracic region |
| M47.25 | Other spondylosis with radiculopathy, thoracolumbar region |
| M47.26 | Other spondylosis with radiculopathy, lumbar region |
| M47.27 | Other spondylosis with radiculopathy, lumbosacral region |
| M47.28 | Other spondylosis with radiculopathy, sacral and sacrococcygeal region |
| M47.811 | Spondylosis without myelopathy or radiculopathy, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M47.812 | Spondylosis without myelopathy or radiculopathy, cervical region |
| M47.813 | Spondylosis without myelopathy or radiculopathy, cervicothoracic region |
| M47.814 | Spondylosis without myelopathy or radiculopathy, thoracic region |
| M47.815 | Spondylosis without myelopathy or radiculopathy, thoracolumbar region |
| M47.816 | Spondylosis without myelopathy or radiculopathy, lumbar region |
| M47.817 | Spondylosis without myelopathy or radiculopathy, lumbosacral region |
| M47.818 | Spondylosis without myelopathy or radiculopathy, sacral and sacrococcygeal region |
| M47.819 | Spondylosis without myelopathy or radiculopathy, site unspecified |
| M47.891 | Other spondylosis, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M47.892 | Other spondylosis, cervical region |
| M47.893 | Other spondylosis, cervicothoracic region |
| M47.894 | Other spondylosis, thoracic region |
| M47.895 | Other spondylosis, thoracolumbar region |
| M47.896 | Other spondylosis, lumbar region |
| M47.897 | Other spondylosis, lumbosacral region |
| M47.898 | Other spondylosis, sacral and sacrococcygeal region |
| M47.899 | Other spondylosis, site unspecified |
| M47.9 | Spondylosis, unspecified |
Spinal stenosis and other spondylopathies (M48)
| Code | Official FY2026 description |
|---|---|
| M48.00 | Spinal stenosis, site unspecified |
| M48.01 | Spinal stenosis, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M48.02 | Spinal stenosis, cervical region |
| M48.03 | Spinal stenosis, cervicothoracic region |
| M48.04 | Spinal stenosis, thoracic region |
| M48.05 | Spinal stenosis, thoracolumbar region |
| M48.061 | Spinal stenosis, lumbar region without neurogenic claudication |
| M48.062 | Spinal stenosis, lumbar region with neurogenic claudication |
| M48.07 | Spinal stenosis, lumbosacral region |
| M48.08 | Spinal stenosis, sacral and sacrococcygeal region |
| M48.10 | Ankylosing hyperostosis [Forestier], site unspecified |
| M48.11 | Ankylosing hyperostosis [Forestier], occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M48.12 | Ankylosing hyperostosis [Forestier], cervical region |
| M48.13 | Ankylosing hyperostosis [Forestier], cervicothoracic region |
| M48.14 | Ankylosing hyperostosis [Forestier], thoracic region |
| M48.15 | Ankylosing hyperostosis [Forestier], thoracolumbar region |
| M48.16 | Ankylosing hyperostosis [Forestier], lumbar region |
| M48.17 | Ankylosing hyperostosis [Forestier], lumbosacral region |
| M48.18 | Ankylosing hyperostosis [Forestier], sacral and sacrococcygeal region |
| M48.19 | Ankylosing hyperostosis [Forestier], multiple sites in spine |
| M48.20 | Kissing spine, site unspecified |
| M48.21 | Kissing spine, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M48.22 | Kissing spine, cervical region |
| M48.23 | Kissing spine, cervicothoracic region |
| M48.24 | Kissing spine, thoracic region |
| M48.25 | Kissing spine, thoracolumbar region |
| M48.26 | Kissing spine, lumbar region |
| M48.27 | Kissing spine, lumbosacral region |
| M48.30 | Traumatic spondylopathy, site unspecified |
| M48.31 | Traumatic spondylopathy, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M48.32 | Traumatic spondylopathy, cervical region |
| M48.33 | Traumatic spondylopathy, cervicothoracic region |
| M48.34 | Traumatic spondylopathy, thoracic region |
| M48.35 | Traumatic spondylopathy, thoracolumbar region |
| M48.36 | Traumatic spondylopathy, lumbar region |
| M48.37 | Traumatic spondylopathy, lumbosacral region |
| M48.38 | Traumatic spondylopathy, sacral and sacrococcygeal region |
| M48.40XA | Fatigue fracture of vertebra, site unspecified, initial encounter for fracture |
| M48.40XD | Fatigue fracture of vertebra, site unspecified, subsequent encounter for fracture with routine healing |
| M48.40XG | Fatigue fracture of vertebra, site unspecified, subsequent encounter for fracture with delayed healing |
+79 more billable codes in this family — see the official CMS ICD-10-CM files for the complete set.
Cervical disc disorders (M50)
| Code | Official FY2026 description |
|---|---|
| M50.00 | Cervical disc disorder with myelopathy, unspecified cervical region |
| M50.01 | Cervical disc disorder with myelopathy, high cervical region |
| M50.020 | Cervical disc disorder with myelopathy, mid-cervical region, unspecified level |
| M50.021 | Cervical disc disorder at C4-C5 level with myelopathy |
| M50.022 | Cervical disc disorder at C5-C6 level with myelopathy |
| M50.023 | Cervical disc disorder at C6-C7 level with myelopathy |
| M50.03 | Cervical disc disorder with myelopathy, cervicothoracic region |
| M50.10 | Cervical disc disorder with radiculopathy, unspecified cervical region |
| M50.11 | Cervical disc disorder with radiculopathy, high cervical region |
| M50.120 | Mid-cervical disc disorder, unspecified level |
| M50.121 | Cervical disc disorder at C4-C5 level with radiculopathy |
| M50.122 | Cervical disc disorder at C5-C6 level with radiculopathy |
| M50.123 | Cervical disc disorder at C6-C7 level with radiculopathy |
| M50.13 | Cervical disc disorder with radiculopathy, cervicothoracic region |
| M50.20 | Other cervical disc displacement, unspecified cervical region |
| M50.21 | Other cervical disc displacement, high cervical region |
| M50.220 | Other cervical disc displacement, mid-cervical region, unspecified level |
| M50.221 | Other cervical disc displacement at C4-C5 level |
| M50.222 | Other cervical disc displacement at C5-C6 level |
| M50.223 | Other cervical disc displacement at C6-C7 level |
| M50.23 | Other cervical disc displacement, cervicothoracic region |
| M50.30 | Other cervical disc degeneration, unspecified cervical region |
| M50.31 | Other cervical disc degeneration, high cervical region |
| M50.320 | Other cervical disc degeneration, mid-cervical region, unspecified level |
| M50.321 | Other cervical disc degeneration at C4-C5 level |
| M50.322 | Other cervical disc degeneration at C5-C6 level |
| M50.323 | Other cervical disc degeneration at C6-C7 level |
| M50.33 | Other cervical disc degeneration, cervicothoracic region |
| M50.80 | Other cervical disc disorders, unspecified cervical region |
| M50.81 | Other cervical disc disorders, high cervical region |
| M50.820 | Other cervical disc disorders, mid-cervical region, unspecified level |
| M50.821 | Other cervical disc disorders at C4-C5 level |
| M50.822 | Other cervical disc disorders at C5-C6 level |
| M50.823 | Other cervical disc disorders at C6-C7 level |
| M50.83 | Other cervical disc disorders, cervicothoracic region |
| M50.90 | Cervical disc disorder, unspecified, unspecified cervical region |
| M50.91 | Cervical disc disorder, unspecified, high cervical region |
| M50.920 | Unspecified cervical disc disorder, mid-cervical region, unspecified level |
| M50.921 | Unspecified cervical disc disorder at C4-C5 level |
| M50.922 | Unspecified cervical disc disorder at C5-C6 level |
| M50.923 | Unspecified cervical disc disorder at C6-C7 level |
| M50.93 | Cervical disc disorder, unspecified, cervicothoracic region |
Thoracic and lumbar disc disorders (M51)
| Code | Official FY2026 description |
|---|---|
| M51.04 | Intervertebral disc disorders with myelopathy, thoracic region |
| M51.05 | Intervertebral disc disorders with myelopathy, thoracolumbar region |
| M51.06 | Intervertebral disc disorders with myelopathy, lumbar region |
| M51.14 | Intervertebral disc disorders with radiculopathy, thoracic region |
| M51.15 | Intervertebral disc disorders with radiculopathy, thoracolumbar region |
| M51.16 | Intervertebral disc disorders with radiculopathy, lumbar region |
| M51.17 | Intervertebral disc disorders with radiculopathy, lumbosacral region |
| M51.24 | Other intervertebral disc displacement, thoracic region |
| M51.25 | Other intervertebral disc displacement, thoracolumbar region |
| M51.26 | Other intervertebral disc displacement, lumbar region |
| M51.27 | Other intervertebral disc displacement, lumbosacral region |
| M51.34 | Other intervertebral disc degeneration, thoracic region |
| M51.35 | Other intervertebral disc degeneration, thoracolumbar region |
| M51.360 | Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region with discogenic back pain only |
| M51.361 | Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region with lower extremity pain only |
| M51.362 | Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region with discogenic back pain and lower extremity pain |
| M51.369 | Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region without mention of lumbar back pain or lower extremity pain |
| M51.370 | Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbosacral region with discogenic back pain only |
| M51.371 | Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbosacral region with lower extremity pain only |
| M51.372 | Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbosacral region with discogenic back pain and lower extremity pain |
| M51.379 | Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbosacral region without mention of lumbar back pain or lower extremity pain |
| M51.44 | Schmorl's nodes, thoracic region |
| M51.45 | Schmorl's nodes, thoracolumbar region |
| M51.46 | Schmorl's nodes, lumbar region |
| M51.47 | Schmorl's nodes, lumbosacral region |
| M51.84 | Other intervertebral disc disorders, thoracic region |
| M51.85 | Other intervertebral disc disorders, thoracolumbar region |
| M51.86 | Other intervertebral disc disorders, lumbar region |
| M51.87 | Other intervertebral disc disorders, lumbosacral region |
| M51.9 | Unspecified thoracic, thoracolumbar and lumbosacral intervertebral disc disorder |
| 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 |
| M51.A4 | Intervertebral annulus fibrosus defect, small, lumbosacral region |
| M51.A5 | Intervertebral annulus fibrosus defect, large, lumbosacral region |
Back and neck pain, radiculopathy, sciatica (M54)
| Code | Official FY2026 description |
|---|---|
| M54.00 | Panniculitis affecting regions of neck and back, site unspecified |
| M54.01 | Panniculitis affecting regions of neck and back, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M54.02 | Panniculitis affecting regions of neck and back, cervical region |
| M54.03 | Panniculitis affecting regions of neck and back, cervicothoracic region |
| M54.04 | Panniculitis affecting regions of neck and back, thoracic region |
| M54.05 | Panniculitis affecting regions of neck and back, thoracolumbar region |
| M54.06 | Panniculitis affecting regions of neck and back, lumbar region |
| M54.07 | Panniculitis affecting regions of neck and back, lumbosacral region |
| M54.08 | Panniculitis affecting regions of neck and back, sacral and sacrococcygeal region |
| M54.09 | Panniculitis affecting regions, neck and back, multiple sites in spine |
| M54.10 | Radiculopathy, site unspecified |
| M54.11 | Radiculopathy, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M54.12 | Radiculopathy, cervical region |
| M54.13 | Radiculopathy, cervicothoracic region |
| M54.14 | Radiculopathy, thoracic region |
| M54.15 | Radiculopathy, thoracolumbar region |
| M54.16 | Radiculopathy, lumbar region |
| M54.17 | Radiculopathy, lumbosacral region |
| M54.18 | Radiculopathy, sacral and sacrococcygeal region |
| M54.2 | Cervicalgia |
| M54.30 | Sciatica, unspecified side |
| M54.31 | Sciatica, right side |
| M54.32 | Sciatica, left side |
| M54.40 | Lumbago with sciatica, unspecified side |
| M54.41 | Lumbago with sciatica, right side |
| M54.42 | Lumbago with sciatica, left side |
| M54.50 | Low back pain, unspecified |
| M54.51 | Vertebrogenic low back pain |
| M54.59 | Other low back pain |
| M54.6 | Pain in thoracic spine |
| M54.81 | Occipital neuralgia |
| M54.89 | Other dorsalgia |
| M54.9 | Dorsalgia, unspecified |
Spondylolisthesis and other deformities (M43)
| Code | Official FY2026 description |
|---|---|
| M43.00 | Spondylolysis, site unspecified |
| M43.01 | Spondylolysis, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M43.02 | Spondylolysis, cervical region |
| M43.03 | Spondylolysis, cervicothoracic region |
| M43.04 | Spondylolysis, thoracic region |
| M43.05 | Spondylolysis, thoracolumbar region |
| M43.06 | Spondylolysis, lumbar region |
| M43.07 | Spondylolysis, lumbosacral region |
| M43.08 | Spondylolysis, sacral and sacrococcygeal region |
| M43.09 | Spondylolysis, multiple sites in spine |
| M43.10 | Spondylolisthesis, site unspecified |
| M43.11 | Spondylolisthesis, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M43.12 | Spondylolisthesis, cervical region |
| M43.13 | Spondylolisthesis, cervicothoracic region |
| M43.14 | Spondylolisthesis, thoracic region |
| M43.15 | Spondylolisthesis, thoracolumbar region |
| M43.16 | Spondylolisthesis, lumbar region |
| M43.17 | Spondylolisthesis, lumbosacral region |
| M43.18 | Spondylolisthesis, sacral and sacrococcygeal region |
| M43.19 | Spondylolisthesis, multiple sites in spine |
| M43.20 | Fusion of spine, site unspecified |
| M43.21 | Fusion of spine, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M43.22 | Fusion of spine, cervical region |
| M43.23 | Fusion of spine, cervicothoracic region |
| M43.24 | Fusion of spine, thoracic region |
| M43.25 | Fusion of spine, thoracolumbar region |
| M43.26 | Fusion of spine, lumbar region |
| M43.27 | Fusion of spine, lumbosacral region |
| M43.28 | Fusion of spine, sacral and sacrococcygeal region |
| M43.3 | Recurrent atlantoaxial dislocation with myelopathy |
| M43.4 | Other recurrent atlantoaxial dislocation |
| M43.5X2 | Other recurrent vertebral dislocation, cervical region |
| M43.5X3 | Other recurrent vertebral dislocation, cervicothoracic region |
| M43.5X4 | Other recurrent vertebral dislocation, thoracic region |
| M43.5X5 | Other recurrent vertebral dislocation, thoracolumbar region |
| M43.5X6 | Other recurrent vertebral dislocation, lumbar region |
| M43.5X7 | Other recurrent vertebral dislocation, lumbosacral region |
| M43.5X8 | Other recurrent vertebral dislocation, sacral and sacrococcygeal region |
| M43.5X9 | Other recurrent vertebral dislocation, site unspecified |
| M43.6 | Torticollis |
| M43.8X1 | Other specified deforming dorsopathies, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M43.8X2 | Other specified deforming dorsopathies, cervical region |
| M43.8X3 | Other specified deforming dorsopathies, cervicothoracic region |
| M43.8X4 | Other specified deforming dorsopathies, thoracic region |
| M43.8X5 | Other specified deforming dorsopathies, thoracolumbar region |
| M43.8X6 | Other specified deforming dorsopathies, lumbar region |
| M43.8X7 | Other specified deforming dorsopathies, lumbosacral region |
| M43.8X8 | Other specified deforming dorsopathies, sacral and sacrococcygeal region |
| M43.8X9 | Other specified deforming dorsopathies, site unspecified |
| M43.9 | Deforming dorsopathy, unspecified |
Reading these codes correctly
- Laterality is inside the code. Many families end in 1 (right), 2 (left), and sometimes 3 (bilateral) or 9 (unspecified). Payers increasingly deny “unspecified side” when a sided code exists — capture right vs. left on the very first phone call.
- Injury (S) codes need a 7th character. The tables below show initial encounter (A) codes. The same code exists with D (subsequent encounter) for routine follow-up care and S (sequela) for late effects. A follow-up visit billed with an “A” code is a mismatch.
- Codes update every October 1. These tables are from the official FY2026 ICD-10-CM release (public domain, NCHS/CMS). Verify against the current year's files before billing.
Where the phone call fits
Every code on this page starts as a sentence a patient says on the phone. ClinicFlow's scheduling agent captures the complaint, the side, and the duration on the first call and writes it into the EMR — so intake, scheduling, and coding tell the same story. See how it works for spine practices, or hear it live: (281) 502-8583.
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Educational reference, not coding advice. Descriptions are reproduced from the official FY2026 ICD-10-CM code files published by NCHS/CMS (US government work, public domain).
Frequently asked questions
What is the ICD-10 code for low back pain?
Since October 2021 the old M54.5 is no longer billable. Use M54.50 (low back pain, unspecified), M54.51 (vertebrogenic low back pain), or M54.59 (other low back pain).
What is the code for lumbar spinal stenosis?
M48.061 (lumbar region without neurogenic claudication) or M48.062 (with neurogenic claudication). The with/without split matters for documenting surgical candidacy.
How do disc herniation codes work?
Cervical disc displacement is the M50.2- family and thoracolumbar is M51.2-, branching by disc level. Pair them with the matching radiculopathy code (M54.12 cervical, M54.16 lumbar) when nerve symptoms are present.
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