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S41.152A vs S42

S41.152A (Open bite of left upper arm, initial encounter) compared with S42 (Fracture of shoulder and upper arm), from the official CMS tabular data.

Current data releases:ICD-10-CM FY2027 · ICD-10-PCS FY2027 · HCPCS October 2026 · MS-DRG v44 · Medicare Code Editor v44.0 · NCCI PTP Q4 2026 · MUE Q4 2026 · NCD code lists 2026-01 · LCD export September 28, 2026 · All releases and sources

Summary

These codes can be reported together when both conditions are documented, because S41.152A lists S42 under Excludes2, which marks them as distinct conditions.

Official rule
What is different?

The conditions named and billing status.S41.152A is “Open bite of left upper arm, initial encounter”; S42 is “Fracture of shoulder and upper arm”. S42 is a non-billable header; S41.152A is billable.

Registry fact

Can these codes be reported together?

Yes, when both are documented.S41.152A lists S42 under Excludes2: “open fracture of shoulder and upper arm (S42.- with 7th character B or C)”. Excludes2 marks distinct conditions that may both be reported when both are documented.

Official ruleGuide: Excludes1 vs Excludes2

Is there an Excludes1 relationship?

None.Neither entry carries an Excludes1 note that names the other code. S41.152A carries 2 Excludes1 notes and S42 carries 1 Excludes1 note covering other codes; the side-by-side table quotes them.

Official rule

Is there an Excludes2 relationship?

Yes.S41.152A’s tabular entry: “open fracture of shoulder and upper arm (S42.- with 7th character B or C)”. The note covers S42.

Official ruleGuide: Excludes1 vs Excludes2

Is one more specific?

Not comparable.The codes sit in different categories; specificity is only comparable within one category.

Is one a parent or header code?

One is a header.S42 is a non-billable header, but S41.152A is not one of its subdivisions.

Registry fact

Are there sequencing instructions?

None.Neither entry carries a Code First or Use Additional Code note that names the other.

Official rule

Are there other coding relationships?

None found.No laterality, encounter-phase, Table of Neoplasms, Table of Drugs and Chemicals, or history-versus-active-disease relationship links these codes.

MedCoder-derived

Official rule: a tabular instructional note or a section of the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, quoted as published. Registry fact: the codes’ own published attributes (titles, billable status, position in the hierarchy, code set). MedCoder-derived: a reading MedCoder computes from those facts; it is not itself a rule. How to read the labels

Can these codes be reported together?

Informational

Excludes2 relationship

S41.152A
Open bite of left upper arm, initial encounter
↔
S42
Fracture of shoulder and upper arm

What we found

Yes, when both are documented.S41.152A carries an Excludes2 note covering S42: “open fracture of shoulder and upper arm (S42.- with 7th character B or C)”

Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.

What to review

Report both only when the documentation supports both conditions; otherwise report the one documented.

Guide: Excludes1 vs Excludes2Check these on a claim

Why it matters

An Excludes2 note means the excluded condition is not part of the code above it, but a patient can have both. Report both when both are documented.

Source / rule

CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes

Official guidance behind these answers

  • Section I.A.12.b — Excludes2 · applies to: Excludes2

    A type 2 Excludes note represents “Not included here.” An excludes2 note indicates that the condition excluded is not part of the condition represented by the code, but a patient may have both conditions at the same time. When an Excludes2 note appears under a code, it is acceptable to use both the code and the excluded code together, when appropriate.

    ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines FY2027

Quoted from the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting in effect for the release shown. The tabular notes above are the code-level instruction; these sections are the convention that says how such a note is applied. Source document (CMS PDF) · Release and checksum

Side by side

Similar descriptions do not make codes interchangeable. The documentation and the official instructions decide which code applies.

Official descriptionDiffers
S41.152A

Open bite of left upper arm, initial encounter

S42

Fracture of shoulder and upper arm

StatusDiffers
S41.152A
Billable
S42
Non-billable header

A header is not reported on a claim; a code beneath it is.

Report instead: S42.001A, S42.001B, S42.001D, S42.001G, S42.001K

Excludes1Differs
S41.152A
  • superficial bite of upper arm (S40.87)
  • traumatic amputation of shoulder and upper arm (S48.-)
S42
  • traumatic amputation of shoulder and upper arm (S48.-)
Excludes2Differs
S41.152A
  • open fracture of shoulder and upper arm (S42.- with 7th character B or C)
  • burns and corrosions (T20-T32)
  • frostbite (T33-T34)
  • injuries of elbow (S50-S59)
  • insect bite or sting, venomous (T63.4)
S42
  • periprosthetic fracture around internal prosthetic shoulder joint (M97.3)
  • burns and corrosions (T20-T32)
  • frostbite (T33-T34)
  • injuries of elbow (S50-S59)
  • insect bite or sting, venomous (T63.4)
Code alsoDiffers
S41.152A
  • any associated wound infection
S42

None at this code

CategoryDiffers
S41.152A

S41 Open wound of shoulder and upper arm

S42

Is itself a category

ChapterSame for both

S00-T88 — Injury, Poisoning and Certain Other Consequences of External Causes (S00-T88)

IncludesSame for both
  • injuries of axilla
  • injuries of scapular region
7th characterDiffers
S41.152A
  • The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S41
S42
  • The appropriate 7th character is to be added to all codes from category S42

No Code first and Use additional code note at either code.

Notes are the code’s own tabular entry, quoted as published. A note that names the other code is the one the verdict above rests on. In a row that differs, notes every code shares are dimmed.

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Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2027). A coding-rule comparison, not billing advice: payer-specific edits and medical-necessity policy are outside its scope. All data sources