M48.5 vs S32
M48.5 (Collapsed vertebra, not elsewhere classified) compared with S32 (Fracture of lumbar spine and pelvis), 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 S32: “traumatic fracture of vertebra (S12.-, S22.-, S32.-)”
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
| M48.5Collapsed vertebra, not elsewhere classified | S32Fracture of lumbar spine and pelvis | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header Report instead: M48.50XA, M48.50XD, M48.50XG, M48.50XS, M48.51XA | Non-billable header Report instead: S32.000A, S32.000B, S32.000D, S32.000G, S32.000K |
| Classification | M00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99) | S00-T88 — Injury, Poisoning and Certain Other Consequences of External Causes (S00-T88) |
| Definition | Collapsed vertebra, not elsewhere classified is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (M48.5). | Fracture of lumbar spine and pelvis is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (S32). |
| 7th character | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from subcategory M48.5: | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S32 |
| Includes | Collapsed vertebra NOS Compression fracture of vertebra NOS Wedging of vertebra NOS | fracture of lumbosacral neural arch fracture of lumbosacral spinous process fracture of lumbosacral transverse process fracture of lumbosacral vertebra |
| Code first | — | any associated spinal cord and spinal nerve injury (S34.-) |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources