S33.101A (Dislocation of unspecified lumbar vertebra, initial encounter) compared with S33.101S (Dislocation of unspecified lumbar vertebra, sequela), from the official CMS tabular data. S33.101A and S33.101S code the same injury at a different phase of treatment.
Same underlying diagnosis, different encounter phase.
The 7th character records the phase of care for the encounter being coded, so a single encounter takes one of these characters, not several. Review whether both phases belong on the same episode of care.
Source: ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.C.19.a
Same injury, other encounter phase. S33.101A and S33.101S code the same injury at a different phase of treatment, set by the 7th character.
The 7th character records the type of care given at the encounter being coded (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.C.19.a), so one encounter takes one of these, not both.
| S33.101ADislocation of unspecified lumbar vertebra, initial encounter | S33.101SDislocation of unspecified lumbar vertebra, sequela | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Billable | Billable |
| Classification | S00-T88 — Injury, Poisoning and Certain Other Consequences of External Causes (S00-T88) | S00-T88 — Injury, Poisoning and Certain Other Consequences of External Causes (S00-T88) |
| Definition | Dislocation of unspecified lumbar vertebra, initial encounter is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (S33.101A). | Dislocation of unspecified lumbar vertebra, sequela is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (S33.101S). |
| 7th character | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S33 | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S33 |
| Includes | avulsion of joint or ligament of lumbar spine and pelvis laceration of cartilage, joint or ligament of lumbar spine and pelvis sprain of cartilage, joint or ligament of lumbar spine and pelvis traumatic hemarthrosis of joint or ligament of lumbar spine and pelvis | avulsion of joint or ligament of lumbar spine and pelvis laceration of cartilage, joint or ligament of lumbar spine and pelvis sprain of cartilage, joint or ligament of lumbar spine and pelvis traumatic hemarthrosis of joint or ligament of lumbar spine and pelvis |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources