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M71.071 vs M71.079

M71.071 (Abscess of bursa, right ankle and foot) compared with M71.079 (Abscess of bursa, unspecified ankle and foot), from the official CMS tabular data. M71.071 and M71.079 code the same condition on opposite sides.

Relationship

Review

Laterality relationship

M71.071
Right
Abscess of bursa, right ankle and foot
M71.079
Unspecified
Abscess of bursa, unspecified ankle and foot

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. M71.071 and M71.079 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

M71.071Abscess of bursa, right ankle and footM71.079Abscess of bursa, unspecified ankle and foot
Billing statusBillableBillable
ClassificationM00-M99 — Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissueM00-M99 — Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue
DefinitionAbscess of bursa, right ankle and foot is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (M71.071).Abscess of bursa, unspecified ankle and foot is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (M71.079).
Use additional code
code (B95.-, B96.-) to identify causative organism
code (B95.-, B96.-) to identify causative organism

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