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M48.34 ICD-10-CM Code: Traumatic spondylopathy, thoracic region

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Billing Status: YES. This is a valid, specific, and billable ICD-10-CM reference.

Billable · FY2027A valid, specific ICD-10-CM code, reportable for dates of service in FY2027.

What you need to know

Source: CMS/NCHS Official ICD-10-CM tabular notes, quoted. From the CMS/NCHS tabular list for the release in force. A note the category or block publishes applies to this code too; the Instructions section marks which is which.

The tabular list publishes no instructional note for this code itself.

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Inpatient Payment Groups (MS-DRG)

Potential MS-DRG participation — not a DRG assignment.

MS-DRGs this diagnosis helps define, as principal or secondary, per the CMS ICD-10-CM/PCS MS-DRG Definitions Manual v44, Appendix B.

  • MS-DRG 551 — MEDICAL BACK PROBLEMS WITH MCC (MDC 08)
  • MS-DRG 552 — MEDICAL BACK PROBLEMS WITHOUT MCC (MDC 08)

A diagnosis appearing in a group's logic does not by itself determine the DRG assigned to a stay; the grouper uses the full claim.

Don’t confuse M48.34 with…

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

The codes most likely to be picked instead of M48.34 — 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.

  • M48.30— Specificity relationship (Review)

    Overlapping diagnoses in the same category.

    Overlapping codes in the same category — the documentation decides which is the more specific fit.

    What moves you there: A record that documents no more than “Traumatic spondylopathy, site unspecified” takes M48.30; specificity in the record moves it back here.

    Full comparison: M48.34 vs M48.30 →

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.

Coding context

Guidelines, coding notes, decision aids, relationships (with MS-DRG and CCSR classification), hierarchy, HCC, coverage and the context map: what a coder reaches for after the core. Each section names whether it is official source data, a MedCoder-derived relationship or MedCoder editorial.

Code Overview

Traumatic spondylopathy, thoracic region is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (M48.34).

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

  • CC as a secondary diagnosis (FY2027). Can raise the stay's MS-DRG severity tier.

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-derived relationships — computed from published CMS and AHRQ datasets

Other codes that name M48.34 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 1 Excludes1 note: G55 — Nerve root and plexus compressions in diseases classified elsewhere (via M48.-).

These codes’ tabular lists mark this diagnosis as mutually exclusive — not reported together unless the conditions are documented as unrelated.

Referenced by 7 Excludes2 notes: M20 — Acquired deformities of fingers and toes (via M48.-), M20-M25 — Other joint disorders (M20-M25) (via M48.-), M21 — Other acquired deformities of limbs (via M48.-), M22 — Disorder of patella (via M48.-), M23 — Internal derangement of knee (via M48.-), M24 — Other specific joint derangements (via M48.-), M25 — Other joint disorder, not elsewhere classified (via M48.-).

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

MS-DRG Grouper Relationships (FY2027)

Potential MS-DRG participation — not a DRG assignment.

FY2027 MS-DRG: CC — Complication or Comorbidity. Reported as a secondary diagnosis, this code raises the stay's MS-DRG severity tier — except when the principal diagnosis is one of 9 clinically related codes on its CMS exclusion list.

Named in the grouper logic of 2 MS-DRGs: DRG 551 (MDC 08), DRG 552 (MDC 08).

From the CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (Appendices B and C). Actual DRG assignment depends on the complete claim.

Clinical classification (AHRQ CCSR):MUS011 — Spondylopathies/spondyloarthropathy (including infective) (default).

Clinical Classifications Software Refined (CCSR) for ICD-10-CM Diagnoses. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Related Codes

Same clinical process (MS-DRG)

Acts as CC — raises the severity of other admissions. CMS groups these diagnoses into one MS-DRG principal-diagnosis exclusion process — a CC/MCC on this list never raises severity when the principal diagnosis is also on it.

M48.30 — Traumatic spondylopathy, site unspecified, M48.31 — Traumatic spondylopathy, occipito-atlanto-axial region, M48.32 — Traumatic spondylopathy, cervical region, M48.33 — Traumatic spondylopathy, cervicothoracic region, M48.35 — Traumatic spondylopathy, thoracolumbar region, M48.36 — Traumatic spondylopathy, lumbar region, M48.37 — Traumatic spondylopathy, lumbosacral region, M48.38 — Traumatic spondylopathy, sacral and sacrococcygeal region

Same clinical category (CCSR)

AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software groups these diagnoses under the same clinical category (Spondylopathies/spondyloarthropathy (including infective)).

+361 more

Same Index main term, other category

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

M46.80 — Other specified inflammatory spondylopathies, site unspecified (inflammatory, specified type NEC), M46.81 — Other specified inflammatory spondylopathies, occipito-atlanto-axial region (inflammatory, specified type NEC, occipito-atlanto-axial region), M46.82 — Other specified inflammatory spondylopathies, cervical region (inflammatory, specified type NEC, cervical region), M46.83 — Other specified inflammatory spondylopathies, cervicothoracic region (inflammatory, specified type NEC, cervicothoracic region), M46.84 — Other specified inflammatory spondylopathies, thoracic region (inflammatory, specified type NEC, thoracic region), M46.85 — Other specified inflammatory spondylopathies, thoracolumbar region (inflammatory, specified type NEC, thoracolumbar region), M46.86 — Other specified inflammatory spondylopathies, lumbar region (inflammatory, specified type NEC, lumbar region), M46.87 — Other specified inflammatory spondylopathies, lumbosacral region (inflammatory, specified type NEC, lumbosacral region), M46.88 — Other specified inflammatory spondylopathies, sacral and sacrococcygeal region (inflammatory, specified type NEC, sacrococcygeal region), M46.89 — Other specified inflammatory spondylopathies, multiple sites in spine (inflammatory, specified type NEC, multiple sites), M46.90 — Unspecified inflammatory spondylopathy, site unspecified (inflammatory), M46.91 — Unspecified inflammatory spondylopathy, occipito-atlanto-axial region (inflammatory, occipito-atlanto-axial region), M46.92 — Unspecified inflammatory spondylopathy, cervical region (inflammatory, cervical region), M46.93 — Unspecified inflammatory spondylopathy, cervicothoracic region (inflammatory, cervicothoracic region), M46.94 — Unspecified inflammatory spondylopathy, thoracic region (inflammatory, thoracic region), M46.95 — Unspecified inflammatory spondylopathy, thoracolumbar region (inflammatory, thoracolumbar region), M46.96 — Unspecified inflammatory spondylopathy, lumbar region (inflammatory, lumbar region), M46.97 — Unspecified inflammatory spondylopathy, lumbosacral region (inflammatory, lumbosacral region), M46.98 — Unspecified inflammatory spondylopathy, sacral and sacrococcygeal region (inflammatory, sacrococcygeal region), M46.99 — Unspecified inflammatory spondylopathy, multiple sites in spine (inflammatory, multiple sites), +12 more

Contextual Map

Every relationship of M48.34 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 M48.34 with these 8 related codes in Claim Check

Hierarchy

Referenced by Excludes1 notes

Referenced by Excludes2 notes

Clinical classification (CCSR)

MS-DRG Grouper

  • CC — Complication or Comorbidity [MS-DRG severity]: “As a secondary diagnosis this code can raise the stay's MS-DRG severity tier (CC).”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (Appendix C) · FY2027
  • DRG 551 — MEDICAL BACK PROBLEMS WITH MCC[MS-DRG]: “MEDICAL BACK PROBLEMS WITH MCC (MDC 08)”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (Appendix B) · FY2027
  • DRG 552 — MEDICAL BACK PROBLEMS WITHOUT MCC[MS-DRG]: “MEDICAL BACK PROBLEMS WITHOUT MCC (MDC 08)”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (Appendix B) · FY2027

MDC crossing

  • MDC 08 — Diseases and Disorders of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue[MDC crossing]: “Diseases and Disorders of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue — the grouper's crossing between diagnoses and procedures: a principal diagnosis sets the MDC, and same-MDC procedures move the stay to its surgical DRGs. 18,439 same-MDC procedures group here; browse them on the MDC page.”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual · FY2027

Index entries

  • Spondylopathy, traumatic, thoracic region[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2027

Nearest codes (40)

Change history

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

Reference

Index terms and tables, published questions and FAQ, every source behind this page with its release and checksum, the date-of-service check and the complete change history.

Indexed Clinical Terms (1)

Official source data — entries quoted as published, in the Index’s own lookup phrasing

Clinical term phrases from the official ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries that map to this code. These are alphabetic-index entries shown as the Index writes them — lookup phrasing, not necessarily the wording of a final diagnosis.

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 FY2027 tabular list, index and tables, effective October 1, 2026 Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Claim edits Official source data
CMS Definitions of Medicare Code Edits — v44.0 (October 2026) Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Inpatient payment groups Official source data
CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (incl. Appendix B diagnosis index, Appendix C CC/MCC list, Appendix E procedure index) and IPPS Final Rule tables — v44 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-derived 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 editorial 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.

Current data releases:ICD-10-CM FY2027 · ICD-10-PCS FY2027 · HCPCS October 2026 · MS-DRG v44 · Medicare Code Editor v44.0 · NCCI PTP Q4 2026 · MUE Q4 2026 · NCD code lists 2026-01 · LCD export September 20, 2026 · All releases and sources

Labels on this page: Official source data · MedCoder-derived relationship · MedCoder editorial explanation. How to read the labels · All data sources and release dates · CMS coding rules

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. "M48.34 — Traumatic spondylopathy, thoracic region." ICD-10-CM FY2027. https://medcoder.ai/icd10/code/m48.34-traumatic-spondylopathy-thoracic-region

Change history

  • FY2016 — October 1, 2015
    In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption
    Traumatic spondylopathy, thoracic region

No changes since FY2016 — additions, deletions, description changes and billable-status changes are tracked through FY2027, 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 M48.34 in its code family, with their registry titles.

View all codes in the M48 family