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M08.972 vs M08.979

M08.972 (Juvenile arthritis, unspecified, left ankle and foot) compared with M08.979 (Juvenile arthritis, unspecified, unspecified ankle and foot), from the official CMS tabular data. M08.972 and M08.979 code the same condition on opposite sides.

Relationship

Review

Laterality relationship

M08.972
Left
Juvenile arthritis, unspecified, left ankle and foot
M08.979
Unspecified
Juvenile arthritis, unspecified, unspecified ankle and foot

Same condition; these differ only in which side is documented.

These codes share a category and title and differ only in the side affected. The documentation decides which applies, and a bilateral code is reported only where the code set provides one.

Source: ICD-10-CM tabular list (laterality variant derived from the code title)

Can these codes be reported together?

Same condition, opposite side. M08.972 and M08.979 name the same condition on opposite sides of the body.

Same category and title, differing only in which side is affected — the documentation decides which one applies, and a bilateral code is reported only where the code set provides one.

Side by side

M08.972Juvenile arthritis, unspecified, left ankle and footM08.979Juvenile arthritis, unspecified, unspecified ankle and foot
Billing statusBillableBillable
ClassificationM00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99)M00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99)
DefinitionJuvenile arthritis, unspecified, left ankle and foot is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (M08.972).Juvenile arthritis, unspecified, unspecified ankle and foot is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (M08.979).

Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources