S51 vs S60
S51 (Open wound of elbow and forearm) compared with S60 (Superficial injury of wrist, hand and fingers), 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. S51 carries an Excludes2 note covering S60: “injuries of wrist and hand (S60-S69)”
Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.
Side by side
| S51Open wound of elbow and forearm | S60Superficial injury of wrist, hand and fingers | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header Report instead: S51.001A, S51.001D, S51.001S, S51.002A, S51.002D | Non-billable header Report instead: S60.00XA, S60.00XD, S60.00XS, S60.011A, S60.011D |
| 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 | Open wound of elbow and forearm is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (S51). | Superficial injury of wrist, hand and fingers is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (S60). |
| 7th character | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S51 | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S60 |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources