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M23.003 vs M23.004

M23.003 (Cystic meniscus, unspecified medial meniscus, right knee) compared with M23.004 (Cystic meniscus, unspecified medial meniscus, left knee), from the official CMS tabular data. M23.003 and M23.004 code the same condition on opposite sides. MedCoder-derived

Relationship

Review

Laterality relationship

M23.003
Right
Cystic meniscus, unspecified medial meniscus, right knee
M23.004
Left
Cystic meniscus, unspecified medial meniscus, left knee

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. M23.003 and M23.004 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

M23.003Cystic meniscus, unspecified medial meniscus, right kneeM23.004Cystic meniscus, unspecified medial meniscus, left knee
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)
DefinitionCystic meniscus, unspecified medial meniscus, right knee is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (M23.003).Cystic meniscus, unspecified medial meniscus, left knee is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (M23.004).

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