S53.31XA vs S53.44
S53.31XA (Traumatic rupture of right ulnar collateral ligament, initial encounter) compared with S53.44 (Ulnar collateral ligament sprain), from the official CMS tabular data. Do not report these codes together: the official tabular list marks them Excludes1.
Can these codes be reported together?
No — do not report together. S53.31XA carries an Excludes1 note covering S53.44: “sprain of ulnar collateral ligament (S53.44-)”
Sole exception: when the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).
Yes, when both are documented. S53.44 carries an Excludes2 note covering S53.31XA: “traumatic rupture of ulnar collateral ligament (S53.3-)”
Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.
Side by side
| S53.31XATraumatic rupture of right ulnar collateral ligament, initial encounter | S53.44Ulnar collateral ligament sprain | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Billable | Non-billable header |
| 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 | Traumatic rupture of right ulnar collateral ligament, initial encounter is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (S53.31A). | Ulnar collateral ligament sprain is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (S53.44). |
| 7th character | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S53 | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S53 |
| Includes | avulsion of joint or ligament of elbow laceration of cartilage, joint or ligament of elbow sprain of cartilage, joint or ligament of elbow traumatic hemarthrosis of joint or ligament of elbow | avulsion of joint or ligament of elbow laceration of cartilage, joint or ligament of elbow sprain of cartilage, joint or ligament of elbow traumatic hemarthrosis of joint or ligament of elbow |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources