M48.4 vs M84.68
M48.4 (Fatigue fracture of vertebra) compared with M84.68 (Pathological fracture in other disease, other site), 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. M48.4 carries an Excludes1 note covering M84.68: “pathological fracture of vertebra due to other diagnosis (M84.68)”
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 | M84.68Pathological fracture in other disease, other site | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header Report instead: M48.40XA, M48.40XD, M48.40XG, M48.40XS, M48.41XA | Non-billable header Report instead: M84.68XA, M84.68XD, M84.68XG, M84.68XK, M84.68XP |
| 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). | Pathological fracture in other disease, other site is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (M84.68). |
| 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 M84.6: |
| Includes | Stress fracture of vertebra | — |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources