Q72 ICD-10-CM Code: Reduction defects of lower limb
Billing Status: NO. This is a non-billable ICD-10-CM code: report a more specific billable code beneath it.
Coder workflow for Q72
MedCoder structured workflow — derived from this code’s own official record
Before you code Q72
- Q72 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).
ReviewQ72.0, Q72.1, Q72.2, Q72.3, Q72.4, Q72.5, Q72.6, Q72.7, Q72.8, Q72.9
See the relationships section · Guide: How to choose an ICD-10-CM code →
Choose the right path
- Does the documentation support one of the more specific codes beneath Q72?
Yes → Select that code and continue the checks below on its own page.
No → Q72 cannot be reported as written; query for the specificity its subcategory needs.ReviewQ72.0, Q72.1, Q72.2, Q72.3, Q72.4, Q72.5, Q72.6, Q72.7, Q72.8, Q72.9
Consider Q72. 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.
Code Overview
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 Q72 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 6 Excludes1 notes across 3 chapters: M21 — Other acquired deformities of limbs, M24.3 — Pathological dislocation of joint, not elsewhere classified, Q66 — Congenital deformities of feet, Q68 — Other congenital musculoskeletal deformities, Q74 — Other congenital malformations of limb(s), Z89 — Acquired absence of limb.
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.
These codes’ tabular lists name this diagnosis as distinct — both may be reported when both are documented.
Contextual Map
Every relationship of Q72 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 Q72 with these 7 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-fy2027
- Q65-Q79 — Congenital malformations and deformations of the musculoskeletal system[Hierarchy]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2027
Referenced by Excludes1 notes
- M21 — Other acquired deformities of limbs[Excludes1]: “congenital absence of limbs (Q71-Q73)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2027
- M24.3 — Pathological dislocation of joint, not elsewhere classified[Excludes1]: “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-fy2027
- Q66 — Congenital deformities of feet[Excludes1]: “reduction defects of feet (Q72.-)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2027
- Q68 — Other congenital musculoskeletal deformities[Excludes1]: “reduction defects of limb(s) (Q71-Q73)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2027
- Q74 — Other congenital malformations of limb(s)[Excludes1]: “reduction defect of limb (Q71-Q73)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2027
- Z89 — Acquired absence of limb[Excludes1]: “congenital absence of limbs (Q71-Q73)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2027
Referenced by Excludes2 notes
- M95 — Other acquired deformities of musculoskeletal system and connective tissue[Excludes2]: “congenital malformations and deformations of the musculoskeletal system (Q65-Q79)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2027
Nearest codes (56)
- Q72.0 — Congenital complete absence of lower limb[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2027
- Q72.00 — Congenital complete absence of unspecified lower limb[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2027
- Q72.01 — Congenital complete absence of right lower limb[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2027
- Q72.02 — Congenital complete absence of left lower limb[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2027
- Q72.03 — Congenital complete absence of lower limb, bilateral[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2027
- Q72.1 — Congenital absence of thigh and lower leg with foot present[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2027
- Q72.10 — Congenital absence of unspecified thigh and lower leg with foot present[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2027
- Q72.11 — Congenital absence of right thigh and lower leg with foot present[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2027
- and 48 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
Can Q72 be billed directly?
No. Q72 (Reduction defects of lower limb) 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 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
- 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. "Q72 — Reduction defects of lower limb." ICD-10-CM FY2027. https://medcoder.ai/icd10/code/q72-reduction-defects-of-lower-limb
Change history
- FY2016 — October 1, 2015In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoptionReduction defects of lower limb
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 Q72 in its code family, with their registry titles.
- Q72.0 — Congenital complete absence of lower limb
- Q72.00 — Congenital complete absence of unspecified lower limb
- Q72.01 — Congenital complete absence of right lower limb
- Q72.02 — Congenital complete absence of left lower limb
- Q72.03 — Congenital complete absence of lower limb, bilateral
- Q72.1 — Congenital absence of thigh and lower leg with foot present
- Q72.10 — Congenital absence of unspecified thigh and lower leg with foot present
- Q72.11 — Congenital absence of right thigh and lower leg with foot present
- Q72.12 — Congenital absence of left thigh and lower leg with foot present
- Q72.13 — Congenital absence of thigh and lower leg with foot present, bilateral
- Q72.2 — Congenital absence of both lower leg and foot
- Q72.20 — Congenital absence of both lower leg and foot, unspecified lower limb
- Q72.21 — Congenital absence of both lower leg and foot, right lower limb
- Q72.22 — Congenital absence of both lower leg and foot, left lower limb
- Q72.23 — Congenital absence of both lower leg and foot, bilateral
- Q72.3 — Congenital absence of foot and toe(s)
- Q72.30 — Congenital absence of unspecified foot and toe(s)
- Q72.31 — Congenital absence of right foot and toe(s)
- Q72.32 — Congenital absence of left foot and toe(s)
- Q72.33 — Congenital absence of foot and toe(s), bilateral
- Q72.4 — Longitudinal reduction defect of femur
- Q72.40 — Longitudinal reduction defect of unspecified femur
- Q72.41 — Longitudinal reduction defect of right femur
- Q72.42 — Longitudinal reduction defect of left femur
- Q72.43 — Longitudinal reduction defect of femur, bilateral
- Q72.5 — Longitudinal reduction defect of tibia
- Q72.50 — Longitudinal reduction defect of unspecified tibia
- Q72.51 — Longitudinal reduction defect of right tibia
- Q72.52 — Longitudinal reduction defect of left tibia
- Q72.53 — Longitudinal reduction defect of tibia, bilateral
- Q72.6 — Longitudinal reduction defect of fibula
- Q72.60 — Longitudinal reduction defect of unspecified fibula
- Q72.61 — Longitudinal reduction defect of right fibula
- Q72.62 — Longitudinal reduction defect of left fibula
- Q72.63 — Longitudinal reduction defect of fibula, bilateral
- Q72.7 — Split foot
- Q72.70 — Split foot, unspecified lower limb
- Q72.71 — Split foot, right lower limb
- Q72.72 — Split foot, left lower limb
- Q72.73 — Split foot, bilateral
- Q72.8 — Other reduction defects of lower limb
- Q72.81 — Congenital shortening of lower limb
- Q72.811 — Congenital shortening of right lower limb
- Q72.812 — Congenital shortening of left lower limb
- Q72.813 — Congenital shortening of lower limb, bilateral
- Q72.819 — Congenital shortening of unspecified lower limb
- Q72.89 — Other reduction defects of lower limb
- Q72.891 — Other reduction defects of right lower limb
- Q72.892 — Other reduction defects of left lower limb
- Q72.893 — Other reduction defects of lower limb, bilateral
- Q72.899 — Other reduction defects of unspecified lower limb
- Q72.9 — Unspecified reduction defect of lower limb
- Q72.90 — Unspecified reduction defect of unspecified lower limb
- Q72.91 — Unspecified reduction defect of right lower limb
- Q72.92 — Unspecified reduction defect of left lower limb
- Q72.93 — Unspecified reduction defect of lower limb, bilateral