M25.36 ICD-10-CM Code: Other instability, knee

Coding instructions

Official Tabular Instructional Notes: the inclusion, exclusion and sequencing notes published for M25.36 in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list, quoted as published.

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

Notes without a marker are published on M25.36 itself; “inherited from” names the category or block whose note applies here.

Coder workflow for M25.36

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

Before you code M25.36

1. M25.36 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).

   ReviewM25.361, M25.362, M25.369

   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 M25.36; 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) →

3. Check the Excludes1 note: if the documentation supports a condition named there, do not simply proceed with M25.36. Excludes1 conditions are not reported together with this code unless the record shows they are unrelated (Guidelines I.A.12.a).

   See the official tabular notes

Choose the right path

1. Does the documentation support one of the more specific codes beneath M25.36?
   Yes → Select that code and continue the checks below on its own page.
   No → M25.36 cannot be reported as written; query for the specificity its subcategory needs.

   ReviewM25.361, M25.362, M25.369

2. Does the documentation support a condition named in M25.36’s Excludes1 note?
   Yes → Do not simply proceed: review the excluded code. Both are reported only when the record shows the two conditions are unrelated.
   No → Continue.

   ReviewM24.2, M96.8

Consider M25.36. 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).

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

• Excludes1 — check before selecting M25.36(2 notes)

  Coding workflow: If the documentation supports a condition named in this note, do not simply proceed with M25.36: the two are not reported together. The one exception is when the record shows the two conditions are unrelated to each other.

  CompareM24.2, M96.8

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

• Excludes2 — not part of M25.36(9 notes)

  Coding workflow: The conditions named in this note are not included in M25.36. When the record documents both, both may be reported; the note is a boundary, not a prohibition.

  CompareM53.2, R26, M71.4, M75.3, M65.2, R26.2

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

Coding decision scenarios

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

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.

Don’t confuse M25.36 with…

MedCoder analysis — pairs from this code’s official notes, distinctions written by MedCoder

The codes most likely to be picked instead of M25.36 — named in its own official notes, or sharing its laterality or encounter family — with what separates them and which documentation moves the case. Each links to the full comparison.

• M24.2— Excludes1 conflict (Excludes1 — generally not reported together)

  Not coded here — the tabular list excludes this pair for the same encounter.

  Not reported together with this code, except where the two conditions are documented as unrelated.

  What moves you there: Documentation of instability of joint secondary to old ligament injury moves the case to M24.2; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

  Full comparison: M25.36 vs M24.2 →

• M96.8— Excludes1 conflict (Excludes1 — generally not reported together)

  Not coded here — the tabular list excludes this pair for the same encounter.

  Not reported together with this code, except where the two conditions are documented as unrelated.

  What moves you there: Documentation of instability of joint secondary to removal of joint prosthesis moves the case to M96.8; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

  Full comparison: M25.36 vs M96.8 →

• M53.2— Excludes2 relationship (Informational)

  Distinct conditions — both may be reported.

  A distinct condition — both may be reported when both are documented.

  What moves you there: Documentation of spinal instabilities adds M53.2; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

  Full comparison: M25.36 vs M53.2 →

• R26— Excludes2 relationship (Informational)

  Distinct conditions — both may be reported.

  A distinct condition — both may be reported when both are documented.

  What moves you there: Documentation of abnormality of gait and mobility adds R26; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

  Full comparison: M25.36 vs R26 →

• M20— Excludes2 relationship (Informational)

  Distinct conditions — both may be reported.

  A distinct condition — both may be reported when both are documented.

  What moves you there: Documentation of acquired deformities of limb adds M20; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

  Full comparison: M25.36 vs M20 →

• M21— Excludes2 relationship (Informational)

  Distinct conditions — both may be reported.

  A distinct condition — both may be reported when both are documented.

  What moves you there: Documentation of acquired deformities of limb adds M21; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

  Full comparison: M25.36 vs M21 →

Relationships are read from this code's own official notes, its laterality siblings and its encounter family; the wording of each distinction is MedCoder editorial, and the documentation named in each “what moves you there” line is the official note phrase or sibling title itself. Source: CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes; ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a.

Verify Before Coding

• Not billable as written — a more specific code is required: M25.361, M25.362, M25.369.

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

Related Codes

Same Index main term, other category

The ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries files this code under the main term “Instability”; these codes share that main term but sit in a different category of the Tabular List.

F48.8 — Other specified nonpsychotic mental disorders (nervous), F60.3 — Borderline personality disorder (emotional), M23.5 — Chronic instability of knee (knee), M96.89 — Other intraoperative and postprocedural complications and disorders of the musculoskeletal system (joint, secondary to, removal of joint prosthesis), R55 — Syncope and collapse (vasomotor), Z59.811 — Housing instability, housed, with risk of homelessness (housing, housed, with risk of homelessness), Z59.812 — Housing instability, housed, homelessness in past 12 months (housing, housed, homelessness in past 12 months), Z59.819 — Housing instability, housed unspecified (housing, housed)

Contextual Map

Every relationship of M25.36 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.

Hierarchy

• M00-M99 — Chapter 13: Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99) (M00-M99)[Hierarchy]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• M00-M25 — Arthropathies[Hierarchy]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• M20-M25 — Other joint disorders[Hierarchy]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026

Nearest codes (40)

• M25 — Other joint disorder, not elsewhere classified[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• M25.31 — Other instability, shoulder[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• M25.311 — Other instability, right shoulder[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• M25.312 — Other instability, left shoulder[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• M25.319 — Other instability, unspecified shoulder[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• M25.32 — Other instability, elbow[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• M25.321 — Other instability, right elbow[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• M25.322 — Other instability, left elbow[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• and 32 more

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

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

Nearest Codes in This Family

Official ICD-10-CM classifications closest to M25.36 in its code family, with their registry titles.

• M25.349 — Other instability, unspecified hand
• M25.35 — Other instability, hip
• M25.351 — Other instability, right hip
• M25.352 — Other instability, left hip
• M25.359 — Other instability, unspecified hip
• M25.361 — Other instability, right knee
• M25.362 — Other instability, left knee
• M25.369 — Other instability, unspecified knee
• M25.37 — Other instability, ankle and foot
• M25.371 — Other instability, right ankle

View all codes in the M25 family