C40 vs C49
C40 (Malignant neoplasm of bone and articular cartilage of limbs) compared with C49 (Malignant neoplasm of other connective and soft tissue), from the official CMS tabular data. Do not report these codes together: the official tabular list marks them Excludes1.
Can these codes be reported together?
No — do not report together. C40 carries an Excludes1 note covering C49: “malignant neoplasm of synovia (C49.-)”
Sole exception: when the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).
No — do not report together. C49 carries an Excludes1 note covering C40: “articular (C40-C41)”
Sole exception: when the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).
Side by side
| C40Malignant neoplasm of bone and articular cartilage of limbs | C49Malignant neoplasm of other connective and soft tissue | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header | Non-billable header |
| Classification | C00-D49 — Neoplasms (C00-D49) | C00-D49 — Neoplasms (C00-D49) |
| Definition | Malignant neoplasm of bone and articular cartilage of limbs is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (C40). | Malignant neoplasm of other connective and soft tissue is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (C49). |
| Includes | malignant neoplasm of cartilage (articular) (joint) malignant neoplasm of periosteum | malignant neoplasm of blood vessel malignant neoplasm of bursa malignant neoplasm of cartilage malignant neoplasm of fascia |
| Use additional code | code to identify major osseous defect, if applicable (M89.7-) | — |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources