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M86.532 vs M86.539

M86.532 (Other chronic hematogenous osteomyelitis, left radius and ulna) compared with M86.539 (Other chronic hematogenous osteomyelitis, unspecified radius and ulna), from the official CMS tabular data. M86.532 and M86.539 code the same condition on opposite sides. MedCoder-derived

Relationship

Review

Laterality relationship

M86.532
Left
Other chronic hematogenous osteomyelitis, left radius and ulna
M86.539
Unspecified
Other chronic hematogenous osteomyelitis, unspecified radius and ulna

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. M86.532 and M86.539 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

M86.532Other chronic hematogenous osteomyelitis, left radius and ulnaM86.539Other chronic hematogenous osteomyelitis, unspecified radius and ulna
Billing statusBillableBillable
ClassificationM00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99)M00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99)
DefinitionOther chronic hematogenous osteomyelitis, left radius and ulna is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (M86.532).Other chronic hematogenous osteomyelitis, unspecified radius and ulna is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (M86.539).
Use additional code
code (B95-B97) to identify infectious agent
code to identify major osseous defect, if applicable (M89.7-)
code (B95-B97) to identify infectious agent
code to identify major osseous defect, if applicable (M89.7-)

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