M48.4 vs M48.5
M48.4 (Fatigue fracture of vertebra) compared with M48.5 (Collapsed vertebra, not elsewhere classified), 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. M48.5 carries an Excludes1 note covering M48.4: “fatigue fracture of vertebra (M48.4)”
Sole exception: when the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).
No — do not report together. M48.5 carries an Excludes1 note covering M48.4: “stress fracture of vertebra (M48.4-)”
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
| M48.4Fatigue fracture of vertebra | M48.5Collapsed vertebra, not elsewhere classified | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header Report instead: M48.40XA, M48.40XD, M48.40XG, M48.40XS, M48.41XA | Non-billable header Report instead: M48.50XA, M48.50XD, M48.50XG, M48.50XS, M48.51XA |
| Classification | M00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99) | M00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99) |
| Definition | Fatigue fracture of vertebra is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (M48.4). | Collapsed vertebra, not elsewhere classified is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (M48.5). |
| 7th character | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from subcategory M48.4: | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from subcategory M48.5: |
| Includes | Stress fracture of vertebra | Collapsed vertebra NOS Compression fracture of vertebra NOS Wedging of vertebra NOS |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources