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L97 ICD-10-CM Code: Non-pressure chronic ulcer of lower limb, not elsewhere classified

Billing Status: NO. This is a clinician non-billable / parent hierarchy grouping in the ICD-10-CM system.

Coding at a Glance

Tabular directives
6 inclusion terms · 3 Excludes2 · 8 code-first instructions

Coding instructions

Official Tabular Instructional Notes: the inclusion, exclusion and sequencing notes published for L97 in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list, quoted as published.

Source: CMS/CDC — ICD-10-CM Tabular ListRelease: FY2026Effective: October 1, 2025

Includes

Conditions the official ICD-10-CM tabular list includes under this code.

  • chronic ulcer of skin of lower limb NOS
  • non-healing ulcer of skin
  • non-infected sinus of skin
  • trophic ulcer NOS
  • tropical ulcer NOS
  • ulcer of skin of lower limb NOS

Excludes2 — Not Included Here

Conditions not covered by this code, but which may be reported alongside it when both are present.

Code First

Underlying conditions that must be sequenced before this code.

Coder workflow for L97

MedCoder structured workflow — derived from this code’s own official record

Before you code L97

  1. L97 is not reportable as written. Select the more specific code beneath it that the documentation supports. Codes are reported to the highest level of specificity the classification provides (Guidelines I.B.2).

    ReviewL97.1, L97.2, L97.3, L97.4, L97.5, L97.8, L97.9

    See the relationships section · Guide: How to choose an ICD-10-CM code →

  2. “Other” (NEC) means the condition is specified in the record but no dedicated code captures it. Confirm the documented form is not one a sibling code names before settling on L97; if the record states no specifics at all, the unspecified sibling applies instead. “Other” codes are for documented conditions the classification gives no specific code; “unspecified” codes are for records lacking the detail (Guidelines I.A.9.a, I.A.9.b).

    See the relationships section · Guide: Other vs unspecified (NEC vs NOS) →

Choose the right path

  1. Does the documentation support one of the more specific codes beneath L97?
    Yes → Select that code and continue the checks below on its own page.
    No → L97 cannot be reported as written; query for the specificity its subcategory needs.

    ReviewL97.1, L97.2, L97.3, L97.4, L97.5, L97.8, L97.9

  2. Is the underlying (etiologic) condition the Code First note names documented?
    Yes → Sequence the underlying condition first, then L97.
    No → Continue; do not add an underlying condition the record does not document.

    ReviewI96, I70.23, I70.24, I70.33, I70.34, I70.43

Consider L97. Then confirm the code is valid for the date of service in the Verify section.

Documentation check

The provider’s diagnostic statement
Codes are assigned from the provider’s documented diagnosis, not from clinical criteria, test values or a medication list (Guidelines I.A.19).
Acuity
Acute or chronic as documented; when both are documented and separate codes exist, both are reported with the acute code first (Guidelines I.B.8).
The underlying (etiologic) condition
Named in the Code First note; sequenced before this code when documented (Guidelines I.A.13).
Any detail beyond this code’s title
What the record states that a more specific sibling code would capture — or its absence, which itself supports the unspecified code.

Official instructions as workflow

  • Excludes2 — not part of L97(3 notes)

    Coding workflow: The conditions named in this note are not included in L97. When the record documents both, both may be reported; the note is a boundary, not a prohibition.

    CompareL89

    See the official tabular notes · Guidelines I.A.12.b

  • Code First — sequencing check(8 notes)

    Coding workflow: Check whether the underlying or etiologic condition the note names is documented. When it is, sequence it before L97. Do not add an underlying condition the record does not document.

    ReviewI96, I70.23, I70.24, I70.33, I70.34, I70.43

    See the official tabular notes · Guidelines I.A.13

Coding decision scenarios

Pattern scenarios for this code’s structure — decision rules, not clinical cases

Documentation: The underlying condition the Code First note names is documented alongside this condition.

Coding question: How are the two sequenced?

Path: Review the Code First note.

Reason: The underlying condition is sequenced first and the manifestation follows (Guidelines I.A.13).

ReviewI96, I70.23, I70.24, I70.33, I70.34, I70.43

Every row is derived from this code’s own record — its title, tabular notes, 7th-character family and same-category siblings — with fixed MedCoder wording; nothing is inferred about a patient. The official notes and guideline text are in the sections each row links to, and they control.

Code Overview

Non-pressure chronic ulcer of lower limb, not elsewhere classified is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (L97). A more specific billable subcode must be selected for claims submission.

MedCoder summary Summary composed by MedCoder from this code's official ICD-10-CM record. The tabular instructional notes themselves appear verbatim below.

Verify Before Coding

From the code registry, the Medicare Code Editor, and the MS-DRG Definitions Manual. Check it against a full claim in Claim Check.

Relationships & Classification

MedCoder structured relationships — computed from published CMS and AHRQ datasets

Other codes that name L97 or its code family, from the CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes. Tabular-note edges are stored at the code family level that carries each note.

Referenced by 3 Excludes2 notes: L89 — Pressure ulcer, L98.4 — Non-pressure chronic ulcer of skin, not elsewhere classified, L98.A — Non-pressure chronic ulcer of upper limb, not elsewhere classified.

These codes’ tabular lists name this diagnosis as distinct — both may be reported when both are documented.

Referenced by 31 Use Additional Code instructions across 3 chapters: E08.622 — Diabetes mellitus due to underlying condition with other skin ulcer, E09.622 — Drug or chemical induced diabetes mellitus with other skin ulcer, E10.622 — Type 1 diabetes mellitus with other skin ulcer, E11.622 — Type 2 diabetes mellitus with other skin ulcer, E13.622 — Other specified diabetes mellitus with other skin ulcer, I70.23 — Atherosclerosis of native arteries of right leg with ulceration, I70.24 — Atherosclerosis of native arteries of left leg with ulceration, I70.26 — Atherosclerosis of native arteries of extremities with gangrene, I70.33 — Atherosclerosis of unspecified type of bypass graft(s) of the right leg with ulceration, I70.34 — Atherosclerosis of unspecified type of bypass graft(s) of the left leg with ulceration, I70.36 — Atherosclerosis of unspecified type of bypass graft(s) of the extremities with gangrene, I70.43 — Atherosclerosis of autologous vein bypass graft(s) of the right leg with ulceration, I70.44 — Atherosclerosis of autologous vein bypass graft(s) of the left leg with ulceration, I70.46 — Atherosclerosis of autologous vein bypass graft(s) of the extremities with gangrene, I70.53 — Atherosclerosis of nonautologous biological bypass graft(s) of the right leg with ulceration, I70.54 — Atherosclerosis of nonautologous biological bypass graft(s) of the left leg with ulceration, I70.56 — Atherosclerosis of nonautologous biological bypass graft(s) of the extremities with gangrene, I70.63 — Atherosclerosis of nonbiological bypass graft(s) of the right leg with ulceration, I70.64 — Atherosclerosis of nonbiological bypass graft(s) of the left leg with ulceration, I70.66 — Atherosclerosis of nonbiological bypass graft(s) of the extremities with gangrene, +11 more.

These codes instruct coders to additionally report this code when it applies.

Contextual Map

Every relationship of L97 in one view: hierarchy, official tabular instructions in both directions, clinical classification, risk adjustment, MS-DRG participation, index terms and change history — each edge carrying the CMS source it derives from.

Run L97 with these 22 related codes in Claim Check

Hierarchy

Excludes2

Code First (29)

Referenced by Excludes2 notes

Referenced by Use Additional Code instructions (31)

Nearest codes (196)

Change history

  • FY2016 — In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption [Change history]— CMS release files (code change ledger) · icd10cm-fy2016

Common coding questions

Can L97 be billed directly?

No. L97 (Non-pressure chronic ulcer of lower limb, not elsewhere classified) is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code. A more specific billable subcode must be selected based on clinical documentation.

Sources for this page

Codes, titles, notes, index terms and mappings on this page are transcribed from the datasets below. Relationships MedCoder computed and text MedCoder wrote are labelled where they appear.

Code, title, tabular notes and index terms Official source data
CMS/CDC ICD-10-CM FY2026 tabular list, index and tables, effective October 1, 2025 Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Claim edits Official source data
CMS Definitions of Medicare Code Edits — v43.1 (April 2026) Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Change history and date-of-service validity Official source data
CMS ICD-10-CM release addenda, ingested release by release into the change ledger Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Comparisons, relationships and the contextual map MedCoder structured relationship
Computed by MedCoder from the tabular notes and tables above; every derived relationship is marked as derived where it appears
Summary and FAQ answers MedCoder explanation
Written by MedCoder to explain the sources above: drafted with AI assistance, checked by a person against the release files, and labelled as MedCoder text where it appears. Not official text.

Labels on this page: Official source data · MedCoder structured relationship · MedCoder explanation. How to read the labels · All data sources and release dates

Cite this page

Reference this page in a research guide, syllabus or article. The release is included because code content changes each year.

MedCoder.ai. "L97 — Non-pressure chronic ulcer of lower limb, not elsewhere classified." ICD-10-CM FY2026. https://medcoder.ai/icd10/code/l97-non-pressure-chronic-ulcer-of-lower-limb-not-elsewhere-classified

Change history

  • FY2016 — October 1, 2015
    In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption
    Non-pressure chronic ulcer of lower limb, not elsewhere classified

No changes since FY2016 — additions, deletions, description changes and billable-status changes are tracked through FY2027 (effective October 1, 2026), and none are recorded for this code. Note changes are tracked from FY2027 only.

Nearest Codes in This Family

Official ICD-10-CM classifications closest to L97 in its code family, with their registry titles.