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S63.4 vs S63.61

S63.4 (Traumatic rupture of ligament of finger at metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joint(s)) compared with S63.61 (Unspecified sprain of other and unspecified finger(s)), from the official CMS tabular data.

Summary

These codes should not be reported together because S63.61’s tabular entry lists S63.4 under Excludes1.

Official rule
What is different?

The conditions named.S63.4 is “Traumatic rupture of ligament of finger at metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joint(s)”; S63.61 is “Unspecified sprain of other and unspecified finger(s)”.

Registry fact

Can these codes be reported together?

No.S63.61’s entry carries an Excludes1 note covering S63.4: “traumatic rupture of ligament of finger at metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joint(s) (S63.4-)”. Both may be reported only when the documentation shows the two conditions are unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).

Official ruleGuide: Excludes1 vs Excludes2

Is there an Excludes1 relationship?

Yes.S63.61’s tabular entry: “traumatic rupture of ligament of finger at metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joint(s) (S63.4-)”. The note covers S63.4.

Official ruleGuide: Excludes1 vs Excludes2

Is there an Excludes2 relationship?

None.Neither entry carries an Excludes2 note that names the other code. S63.4 carries 4 Excludes2 notes and S63.61 carries 4 Excludes2 notes covering other codes; the side-by-side table quotes them.

Official rule

Is one more specific?

Yes.S63.4’s title names the condition; S63.61’s title is the unspecified form (“Unspecified sprain of other and unspecified finger(s)”).

MedCoder-derivedGuide: Other vs unspecified (NEC vs NOS)

Is one a parent or header code?

Both are headers.Both are non-billable headers, and neither contains the other.

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?

Conflict

Excludes1 conflict

S63.61
Unspecified sprain of other and unspecified finger(s)
↔
S63.4
Traumatic rupture of ligament of finger at metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joint(s)

What we found

No — do not report together.S63.61 carries an Excludes1 note covering S63.4: “traumatic rupture of ligament of finger at metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joint(s) (S63.4-)”

Sole exception: when the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).

What to review

Report one of the two. Both may be reported only when the documentation shows the two conditions are unrelated to each other.

Guide: Excludes1 vs Excludes2Check these on a claim

Why it matters

An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur together, so the pair should not be reported for the same encounter. The sole exception is when the conditions are documented as unrelated to each other.

Source / rule

CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes; ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a

Official guidance behind these answers

  • Section I.A.12.a — Excludes1 · applies to: Excludes1

    A type 1 Excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means “NOT CODED HERE!” An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition. An exception to the Excludes1 definition is the circumstance when the two conditions are unrelated to each other. If it is not clear whether the two conditions involving an Excludes1 note are related or not, query the provider. For example, code F45.8, Other somatoform disorders, has an Excludes1 note for "sleep related teeth grinding (G47.63)," because "teeth grinding" is an inclusion term under F45.8. Only one of these two codes should be assigned for teeth grinding. However psychogenic dysmenorrhea is also an inclusion term under F45.8, and a patient could have both this condition and sleep related teeth grinding. In this case, the two conditions are clearly unrelated to each other, and so it would be appropriate to report F45.8 and G47.63 together.

    ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines FY2026

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

S63.4Traumatic rupture of ligament of finger at metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joint(s)S63.61Unspecified sprain of other and unspecified finger(s)
Billing statusNon-billable header

Report instead: S63.400A, S63.400D, S63.400S, S63.401A, S63.401D

Non-billable header

Report instead: S63.610A, S63.610D, S63.610S, S63.611A, S63.611D

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)
DefinitionTraumatic rupture of ligament of finger at metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joint(s) is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (S63.4).Unspecified sprain of other and unspecified finger(s) is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (S63.61).
7th characterThe appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S63The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S63
Includes
avulsion of joint or ligament at wrist and hand level
laceration of cartilage, joint or ligament at wrist and hand level
sprain of cartilage, joint or ligament at wrist and hand level
traumatic hemarthrosis of joint or ligament at wrist and hand level
avulsion of joint or ligament at wrist and hand level
laceration of cartilage, joint or ligament at wrist and hand level
sprain of cartilage, joint or ligament at wrist and hand level
traumatic hemarthrosis of joint or ligament at wrist and hand level
Excludes1—
traumatic rupture of ligament of finger at metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joint(s) (S63.4-)
Excludes2
strain of muscle, fascia and tendon of wrist and hand (S66.-)
burns and corrosions (T20-T32)
frostbite (T33-T34)
insect bite or sting, venomous (T63.4)
strain of muscle, fascia and tendon of wrist and hand (S66.-)
burns and corrosions (T20-T32)
frostbite (T33-T34)
insect bite or sting, venomous (T63.4)
Code also
any associated open wound
any associated open wound

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.

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Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). A coding-rule comparison, not billing advice: payer-specific edits and medical-necessity policy are outside its scope. All data sources