Is ICD-10-CM code M40-M54 billable?

No, M40-M54 (Dorsopathies (M40-M54)) is a non-billable ICD-10-CM code. It must be coded to a more specific subcategory before it can be used for reimbursement.

What chapter does ICD-10-CM code M40-M54 belong to?

M40-M54 belongs to Chapter 13 of the ICD-10-CM tabular list: M00–M99 (Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue).

M40-M54Not billable, use a more specific code below

Dorsopathies (M40-M54)

chapter 13: Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue

Official coding guidelines

From the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, FY 2027 (CMS and NCHS). Links open the PDF at the right page.

Covers site and laterality, acute injury versus chronic musculoskeletal conditions, 7th characters for pathologic fractures, osteoporosis with or without current fracture, and multisystem inflammatory syndrome.

Site and laterality (page 60)
Acute traumatic versus chronic or recurrent musculoskeletal conditions (page 61)
Coding of Pathologic Fractures (page 61)
Osteoporosis (page 61)
Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (page 62)

Read Section I.C.13 (page 60)

M40-M54 MS-DRGs

This code does not group to an MS-DRG as a principal diagnosis.

Other codes that refer to M40-M54

Notes on these codes point to M40-M54.

M20-M25 Excludes2: joints of the spine (M40-M54)

About the condition

Plain-language background from MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine), not coding guidance.

Spine Injuries and Disorders

Your backbone, or spine, is made up of 26 bone discs called vertebrae. The vertebrae protect your spinal cord and allow you to stand and bend. A number of problems can change the structure of the spine or damage the vertebrae and surrounding tissue. They include: