Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ICD-10-CM codes

Carpal tunnel syndrome is subcategory G56.0- with laterality in the fifth character: G56.01 right upper limb, G56.02 left upper limb, G56.03 bilateral upper limbs, and G56.00 unspecified upper limb. When both wrists are affected, assign G56.03 once rather than G56.01 and G56.02 together.

Laterality is nearly always available from the examination or nerve conduction report, so G56.00 should be rare. Payers routinely deny unspecified laterality for carpal tunnel release and injection procedures. If the provider documents symptoms on one side but the study confirms both, code to what the provider diagnoses.

Ulnar nerve entrapment at the elbow (cubital tunnel syndrome) is a lesion of the ulnar nerve, G56.2- (G56.20 unspecified limb), not carpal tunnel. Carpal tunnel that the provider documents as a diabetic mononeuropathy is coded to E11.41; G56.0- can be added to identify the nerve and side. Hand numbness without a diagnosis is R20.2.