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Compare/S44.32 vs S50

S44.32 vs S50

S44.32 (Injury of axillary nerve, left arm) compared with S50 (Superficial injury of elbow and forearm), from the official CMS tabular data. Both may be reported when both conditions are documented (Excludes2).

Can these codes be reported together?

Yes, when both are documented. S44.32 carries an Excludes2 note covering S50: “injuries of elbow (S50-S59)”

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

Side by side

S44.32Injury of axillary nerve, left armS50Superficial injury of elbow and forearm
Billing statusNon-billable header

Report instead: S44.32XA, S44.32XD, S44.32XS

Non-billable header

Report instead: S50.00XA, S50.00XD, S50.00XS, S50.01XA, S50.01XD

ClassificationS00-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)
DefinitionInjury of axillary nerve, left arm is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (S44.32).Superficial injury of elbow and forearm is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (S50).
7th characterThe appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S44The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S50
Includes
injuries of axilla
injuries of scapular region

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