Spinal Stenosis ICD-10-CM codes

Spinal stenosis is coded to M48.0- with a 5th character for the region: M48.00 site unspecified, M48.02 cervical, M48.03 cervicothoracic, M48.04 thoracic, M48.05 thoracolumbar, M48.07 lumbosacral, M48.08 sacral. The lumbar region alone requires a 6th character: M48.061 for lumbar stenosis without neurogenic claudication and M48.062 for lumbar stenosis with neurogenic claudication. Assign M48.062 only when the provider documents neurogenic claudication (or pseudoclaudication); the symptom alone does not justify the code without that diagnosis.

Spinal stenosis is often documented together with the degenerative changes that cause it. Spondylosis with myelopathy (M47.1-) or with radiculopathy (M47.2-) and disc disorders with myelopathy or radiculopathy (M50.0-, M50.1-, M51.0-, M51.1-) are separate codes and may be reported with M48.0- when both are documented, since stenosis has no Excludes1 note against them. Degenerative spondylolisthesis contributing to stenosis is M43.1- (M43.16 lumbar).

The M99.2- through M99.7- codes describe stenosis of the neural canal or intervertebral foramina by mechanism (subluxation, osseous, connective tissue, disc) and are used mainly in chiropractic and osteopathic settings; they are not a substitute for M48.0- in the surgical or pain-management record. Post-laminectomy syndrome after decompression surgery is M96.1, not a stenosis code.