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Osteoarthritis ICD 10 Code
Refresher: What are ICD-10 codes?
ICD-10 stands for International Classification of Diseases – 10th Revision. It is a coding system that helps healthcare providers diagnose and treat various illnesses. The codes facilitate clinical communication for both patients and doctors and are further divided into two categories:
- ICD-10-CM
- ICD-10-PCS
ICD-10-CM (Clinical Modification) is used for diagnosis, whereas ICD-10-PCS is used in in-patient settings for coding procedures. It's important to note that ICD-10 codes for a condition are the same throughout the United States. However, for some illnesses, there might be subcategories, making the code lookup confusing.
Using these codes, healthcare providers are able to categorize a patient's symptoms and create the right treatment plan for them. Hence, understanding the type and location of the disease is imperative to find the right ICD-10 code [1].
What is the ICD-10 Code for Osteoarthritis?
The ICD-10 codes for osteoarthritis fall between M15 – M19. Codes are assigned based on how and where the condition develops. The subcategories are stated in the table below.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that causes wear and tear in the hands, knees, and hips. It is a condition that causes the cartilage within a joint to break down and change the underlying bone.
Osteoarthritis ICD-10 codes: M15-M19
Osteoarthritis ICD codes M15-M19 Lookup
Below is a table of the ICD 10 osteoarthritis codes for different types of this condition [2].
M15-M19: Osteoarthritis
Types of Osteoarthritis Coded Under M15-M19
ICD-10 codes M15 to M19, “Osteoarthritis,” represent different types of osteoarthritis. Some of them include the following:
Polyosteoarthritis (M15): This condition involves joint stiffness and pain and is usually a result of aging. Osteoarthritis can affect all joints. But polyosteoarthritis is when many joints in the same person are involved.
Osteoarthritis of hip (M16): This condition involves the gradual wearing away of the hip joint cartilage, causing it to become rough. As a result, the joint space between the bones decreases and causes a bone to rub with the other.
Osteoarthritis of knee (M17): This type of osteoarthritis affects the cartilage in your knee joint. When it weakens and breaks down, bones begin to rub together.
Carpometacarpal osteoarthritis (M18): This type of osteoarthritis causes weakness, stiffness, and pain in the hands.
Other types of osteoarthritis (M19): This code represents various types of osteoarthritis affecting different parts of the body, such as:
- Shoulders
- Elbows
- Wrist
- Hand
- Foot and ankle
These ICD-10 codes define a degenerative disease that is often a result of aging. Different codes represent different parts of the body it affects. The categorization of different body parts it affects has further enabled healthcare providers to be specific with their diagnoses.
M15 lists down subcategories of polyosteoarthritis, dividing it into primary and secondary types. These are divided further into categories that separate Heberden's nodes from Bouchard's nodes.
Similarly, M16, M17, M18, and M19 define other types of osteoarthritis affecting one or multiple sites. In most cases, ICD-10 codes are assigned based on the site affected by the disease/condition.
Types of Osteoarthritis Excluded from ICD-10 M15-M19
Osteoarthritis of the spine does not come under the M15-M19 category, even though it can co-occur with other types of osteoarthritis. Since it is a major degenerative disease with its own subcategories and characteristics, it comes under a completely different code, M47. Healthcare providers may use this code with the code for other types of osteoarthritis if it co-occurs with them. It is also known as spondylosis.
It is a degenerative disease affecting the spine, and it can involve different parts of the vertebra. Here is a brief categorization of its types.
M47: Spondylossis [3]
Specifying a diagnosis is crucial for creating the right treatment plan. Furthermore, it also ensures efficiency in medical billing.
Conclusion
The process of coding ensures that patients receive the required treatment for their disease/condition. Coding and medical billing companies also use these codes to ensure the provision of quality healthcare to patients across the United States.
ICD-10 codes help standardize processes which eventually leads up to better monitoring and recording of the treatment plans [4]. This further ensures that everyone gets the right quality of care.
ICD-10 codes also ensure the recording of accurate information, which helps doctors retain confidence in their treatment plans. Osteoarthritis is a complicated condition that affects the bones and joints of your body. Determining the body parts it's affecting can help your doctor tackle it effectively.
Through ICD-10 codes, doctors have been able to reduce inconsistencies in their diagnoses, create detailed documentation and provide the best care to patients.