Q71.6 ICD-10-CM Code: Lobster-claw hand

Coder workflow for Q71.6

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

Before you code Q71.6

1. Q71.6 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).

   ReviewQ71.60, Q71.61, Q71.62, Q71.63

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

Choose the right path

1. Does the documentation support one of the more specific codes beneath Q71.6?
   Yes → Select that code and continue the checks below on its own page.
   No → Q71.6 cannot be reported as written; query for the specificity its subcategory needs.

   ReviewQ71.60, Q71.61, Q71.62, Q71.63

Consider Q71.6. 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).

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.

Indexed Clinical Terms (2)

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.

• Cleft (congenital), hand
• Split, splitting, hand

Don’t confuse Q71.6 with…

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

The codes most likely to be picked instead of Q71.6 — 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.

• Q71.9— 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 “Unspecified reduction defect of upper limb” takes Q71.9; specificity in the record moves it back here.

  Full comparison: Q71.6 vs Q71.9 →

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: Q71.60, Q71.61, Q71.62, Q71.63.

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 Q71.6 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 5 Excludes1 notes across 3 chapters: M21 — Other acquired deformities of limbs (via Q71.-), M24.3 — Pathological dislocation of joint, not elsewhere classified (via Q71.-), Q68 — Other congenital musculoskeletal deformities (via Q71.-), Q74 — Other congenital malformations of limb(s) (via Q71.-), Z89 — Acquired absence of limb (via Q71.-).

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

Referenced by 1 Excludes2 note: M95 — Other acquired deformities of musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (via Q71.-).

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

Related Codes

Same Index main term, other category

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

Q37.8 — Unspecified cleft palate with bilateral cleft lip (lip, bilateral, with cleft palate), Q37.9 — Unspecified cleft palate with unilateral cleft lip (lip, with cleft palate), Q39.9 — Congenital malformation of esophagus, unspecified (esophagus, congenital), Q55.29 — Other congenital malformations of testis and scrotum (scrotum), Q55.69 — Other congenital malformation of penis (penis), Q62.2 — Congenital megaureter (obstructive, congenital, ureter, megaureter), Q62.31 — Congenital ureterocele, orthotopic (obstructive, congenital, ureter, orthotopic ureterocele), Q62.32 — Cecoureterocele (obstructive, congenital, ureter, cecoureterocele), Q62.39 — Other obstructive defects of renal pelvis and ureter (renal pelvis, obstructive), Q63.8 — Other specified congenital malformations of kidney (renal pelvis), Q72.4 — Longitudinal reduction defect of femur (reduction, limb, lower, longitudinal, femur), Q72.5 — Longitudinal reduction defect of tibia (reduction, limb, lower, longitudinal, tibia), Q72.6 — Longitudinal reduction defect of fibula (reduction, limb, lower, longitudinal, fibula), Q72.7 — Split foot (foot), Q72.89 — Other reduction defects of lower limb (reduction, limb, lower, specified type NEC), Q72.9 — Unspecified reduction defect of lower limb (reduction, limb, lower), Q73.8 — Other reduction defects of unspecified limb(s) (reduction, limb), Q79.0 — Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (diaphragm, congenital, gross), Q79.1 — Other congenital malformations of diaphragm (diaphragm, congenital), Q79.59 — Other congenital malformations of abdominal wall (abdominal wall, congenital), +123 more

Contextual Map

Every relationship of Q71.6 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 Q71.6 with these 6 related codes in Claim Check

Hierarchy

• Q00-QA1 — Chapter 17: Congenital Malformations, Deformations and Chromosomal Abnormalities (Q00-QA1) (Q00-QA1)[Hierarchy]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• Q65-Q79 — Congenital malformations and deformations of the musculoskeletal system[Hierarchy]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026

Referenced by Excludes1 notes

• M21 — Other acquired deformities of limbs[Excludes1](via Q71.-): “congenital absence of limbs (Q71-Q73)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026
• M24.3 — Pathological dislocation of joint, not elsewhere classified[Excludes1](via Q71.-): “congenital dislocation or displacement of joint- see congenital malformations and deformations of the musculoskeletal system (Q65-Q79)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026
• Q68 — Other congenital musculoskeletal deformities[Excludes1](via Q71.-): “reduction defects of limb(s) (Q71-Q73)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026
• Q74 — Other congenital malformations of limb(s)[Excludes1](via Q71.-): “reduction defect of limb (Q71-Q73)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026
• Z89 — Acquired absence of limb[Excludes1](via Q71.-): “congenital absence of limbs (Q71-Q73)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026

Referenced by Excludes2 notes

• M95 — Other acquired deformities of musculoskeletal system and connective tissue[Excludes2](via Q71.-): “congenital malformations and deformations of the musculoskeletal system (Q65-Q79)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026

Index entries

• Cleft (congenital), hand[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026
• Split, splitting, hand[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026

Nearest codes (40)

• Q71 — Reduction defects of upper limb[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• Q71.2 — Congenital absence of both forearm and hand[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• Q71.20 — Congenital absence of both forearm and hand, unspecified upper limb[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• Q71.21 — Congenital absence of both forearm and hand, right upper limb[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• Q71.22 — Congenital absence of both forearm and hand, left upper limb[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• Q71.23 — Congenital absence of both forearm and hand, bilateral[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• Q71.3 — Congenital absence of hand and finger[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• Q71.30 — Congenital absence of unspecified hand and finger[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 Q71.6 in its code family, with their registry titles.

• Q71.5 — Longitudinal reduction defect of ulna
• Q71.50 — Longitudinal reduction defect of unspecified ulna
• Q71.51 — Longitudinal reduction defect of right ulna
• Q71.52 — Longitudinal reduction defect of left ulna
• Q71.53 — Longitudinal reduction defect of ulna, bilateral
• Q71.60 — Lobster-claw hand, unspecified hand
• Q71.61 — Lobster-claw right hand
• Q71.62 — Lobster-claw left hand
• Q71.63 — Lobster-claw hand, bilateral
• Q71.8 — Other reduction defects of upper limb

View all codes in the Q71 family