S51.0 vs S51.85
S51.0 (Open wound of elbow) compared with S51.85 (Open bite of 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. S51.85 carries an Excludes2 note covering S51.0: “open wound of elbow (S51.0-)”
Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.
Side by side
| S51.0Open wound of elbow | S51.85Open bite of forearm | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header Report instead: S51.001A, S51.001D, S51.001S, S51.002A, S51.002D | Non-billable header Report instead: S51.851A, S51.851D, S51.851S, S51.852A, S51.852D |
| 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 is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (S51.0). | Open bite of forearm is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (S51.85). |
| 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 S51 |
| Includes | — | Bite of forearm NOS |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources