M48.51XG vs M84.4
M48.51XG (Collapsed vertebra, not elsewhere classified, occipito-atlanto-axial region, subsequent encounter for fracture with delayed healing) compared with M84.4 (Pathological fracture, 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. M48.51XG carries an Excludes1 note covering M84.4: “pathological fracture NOS (M84.4-)”
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. M84.4 carries an Excludes1 note covering M48.51XG: “collapsed vertebra NEC (M48.5)”
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
| M48.51XGCollapsed vertebra, not elsewhere classified, occipito-atlanto-axial region, subsequent encounter for fracture with delayed healing | M84.4Pathological fracture, not elsewhere classified | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Billable | Non-billable header Report instead: M84.40XA, M84.40XD, M84.40XG, M84.40XK, M84.40XP |
| 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 | Collapsed vertebra, not elsewhere classified, occipito-atlanto-axial region, subsequent encounter for fracture with delayed healing is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (M48.51G). | Pathological fracture, not elsewhere classified is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (M84.4). |
| 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 subcategory M84.4: |
| Includes | — | Chronic fracture Pathological fracture NOS |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources