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M21.1 vs M92.51

M21.1 (Varus deformity, not elsewhere classified) compared with M92.51 (Juvenile osteochondrosis of proximal tibia), 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. M21.1 carries an Excludes1 note covering M92.51: “tibia vara (M92.51-)”

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

M21.1Varus deformity, not elsewhere classifiedM92.51Juvenile osteochondrosis of proximal tibia
Billing statusNon-billable header

Report instead: M21.10, M21.121, M21.122, M21.129, M21.151

Non-billable header

Report instead: M92.511, M92.512, M92.513, M92.519

ClassificationM00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99)M00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99)
DefinitionVarus deformity, not elsewhere classified is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (M21.1).Juvenile osteochondrosis of proximal tibia is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (M92.51).
Includes
Blount disease
Tibia vara

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