M21 vs Q71
M21 (Other acquired deformities of limbs) compared with Q71 (Reduction defects of upper limb), 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. M21 carries an Excludes1 note covering Q71: “congenital absence of limbs (Q71-Q73)”
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
| M21Other acquired deformities of limbs | Q71Reduction defects of upper limb | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header | Non-billable header |
| Classification | M00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99) | Q00-Q99 — Congenital Malformations, Deformations and Chromosomal Abnormalities (Q00-Q99) |
| Definition | Other acquired deformities of limbs is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (M21). | Reduction defects of upper limb is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (Q71). |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources