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M23.004 vs M23.005

M23.004 (Cystic meniscus, unspecified medial meniscus, left knee) compared with M23.005 (Cystic meniscus, unspecified medial meniscus, unspecified knee), from the official CMS tabular data. M23.004 and M23.005 code the same condition on opposite sides. MedCoder-derived

Relationship

Review

Laterality relationship

M23.004
Left
Cystic meniscus, unspecified medial meniscus, left knee
M23.005
Unspecified
Cystic meniscus, unspecified medial meniscus, unspecified 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. M23.004 and M23.005 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

M23.004Cystic meniscus, unspecified medial meniscus, left kneeM23.005Cystic meniscus, unspecified medial meniscus, unspecified knee
Billing statusBillableBillable
ClassificationM00-M99 — Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissueM00-M99 — Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue
DefinitionCystic meniscus, unspecified medial meniscus, left knee is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (M23.004).Cystic meniscus, unspecified medial meniscus, unspecified knee is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (M23.005).

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