S09.3 is the authoritative medical code for Other specified and unspecified injury of middle and inner ear. This classification is used in medical billing and clinical recording to specify the clinical criteria for other specified and unspecified injury of middle and inner ear (ICD-10-CM S09.3), ensuring healthcare documentation aligns with 2026 federal coding standards.
Billing Status: NO. This is a clinician non-billable / parent hierarchy grouping in the ICD-10-CM system.
Official Registry Overview & Definition
Other specified and unspecified injury of middle and inner ear is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code S09.3. A more specific billable subcode must be selected for claims submission. Includes: injuries of ear; injuries of eye; injuries of face any part; injuries of gum; injuries of jaw; injuries of oral cavity; injuries of palate; injuries of periocular area; injuries of scalp; injuries of temporomandibular joint area; injuries of tongue; injuries of tooth. Excludes1 (not coded here): injury to ear NOS S09.91-. Excludes2 (not included here): injury to external ear (S00.4-, S01.3-, S08.1-); burns and corrosions T20-T32; effects of foreign body in ear T16; effects of foreign body in larynx T17.3; effects of foreign body in mouth NOS T18.0; effects of foreign body in nose T17.0-T17.1; effects of foreign body in pharynx T17.2; effects of foreign body on external eye T15.-; frostbite T33-T34; insect bite or sting, venomous T63.4. Code also: for any associated infection. 7th character: The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S09.
Official Tabular Instructional Notes
Sequencing, inclusion, and exclusion notes published for S09.3 in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list.
Includes
Conditions the official ICD-10-CM tabular list includes under this code.
- injuries of ear
- injuries of eye
- injuries of face any part
- injuries of gum
- injuries of jaw
- injuries of oral cavity
- injuries of palate
- injuries of periocular area
- injuries of scalp
- injuries of temporomandibular joint area
- injuries of tongue
- injuries of tooth
Excludes1 — Not Coded Here
Conditions that can never be reported with this code; the two are mutually exclusive.
- injury to ear NOS S09.91-
Excludes2 — Not Included Here
Conditions not covered by this code, but which may be reported alongside it when both are present.
- injury to external ear (S00.4-, S01.3-, S08.1-)
- burns and corrosions T20-T32
- effects of foreign body in ear T16
- effects of foreign body in larynx T17.3
- effects of foreign body in mouth NOS T18.0
- effects of foreign body in nose T17.0-T17.1
- effects of foreign body in pharynx T17.2
- effects of foreign body on external eye T15.-
- frostbite T33-T34
- insect bite or sting, venomous T63.4
Code Also
Additional codes that may be required to fully describe the encounter.
- for any associated infection
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Clinical Guidance
Can S09.3 be billed directly?
No. S09.3 (Other specified and unspecified injury of middle and inner ear) is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code. A more specific billable subcode must be selected based on clinical documentation.
Does S09.3 require a 7th character?
Yes. The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S09.
What can't be coded together with S09.3?
Per Excludes1 instructions, S09.3 must not be reported with: injury to ear NOS (S09.91-).
Can S09.3 be reported alongside related conditions?
Per Excludes2 instructions, S09.3 and the following may both be reported when both are present: injury to external ear (S00.4-, S01.3-, S08.1-); burns and corrosions (T20-T32); effects of foreign body in ear (T16); effects of foreign body in larynx (T17.3).
Codes in This Family (40)
Official ICD-10-CM classifications in the same code family as S09.3, with their registry titles.
- S09 — Other and unspecified injuries of head
- S09.0 — Injury of blood vessels of head, not elsewhere classified
- S09.0A — Injury of blood vessels of head, not elsewhere classified, initial encounter
- S09.0D — Injury of blood vessels of head, not elsewhere classified, subsequent encounter
- S09.0S — Injury of blood vessels of head, not elsewhere classified, sequela
- S09.0XXA — Injury of blood vessels of head, not elsewhere classified, initial encounter
- S09.0XXD — Injury of blood vessels of head, not elsewhere classified, subsequent encounter
- S09.0XXS — Injury of blood vessels of head, not elsewhere classified, sequela
- S09.1 — Injury of muscle and tendon of head
- S09.10 — Unspecified injury of muscle and tendon of head
- S09.10A — Unspecified injury of muscle and tendon of head, initial encounter
- S09.10D — Unspecified injury of muscle and tendon of head, subsequent encounter
- S09.10S — Unspecified injury of muscle and tendon of head, sequela
- S09.10XA — Unspecified injury of muscle and tendon of head, initial encounter
- S09.10XD — Unspecified injury of muscle and tendon of head, subsequent encounter
- S09.10XS — Unspecified injury of muscle and tendon of head, sequela
- S09.11 — Strain of muscle and tendon of head
- S09.11A — Strain of muscle and tendon of head, initial encounter
- S09.11D — Strain of muscle and tendon of head, subsequent encounter
- S09.11S — Strain of muscle and tendon of head, sequela
- S09.11XA — Strain of muscle and tendon of head, initial encounter
- S09.11XD — Strain of muscle and tendon of head, subsequent encounter
- S09.11XS — Strain of muscle and tendon of head, sequela
- S09.12 — Laceration of muscle and tendon of head
- S09.12A — Laceration of muscle and tendon of head, initial encounter
- S09.12D — Laceration of muscle and tendon of head, subsequent encounter
- S09.12S — Laceration of muscle and tendon of head, sequela
- S09.12XA — Laceration of muscle and tendon of head, initial encounter
- S09.12XD — Laceration of muscle and tendon of head, subsequent encounter
- S09.12XS — Laceration of muscle and tendon of head, sequela
- S09.19 — Other specified injury of muscle and tendon of head
- S09.19A — Other specified injury of muscle and tendon of head, initial encounter
- S09.19D — Other specified injury of muscle and tendon of head, subsequent encounter
- S09.19S — Other specified injury of muscle and tendon of head, sequela
- S09.19XA — Other specified injury of muscle and tendon of head, initial encounter
- S09.19XD — Other specified injury of muscle and tendon of head, subsequent encounter
- S09.19XS — Other specified injury of muscle and tendon of head, sequela
- S09.2 — Traumatic rupture of ear drum
- S09.20 — Traumatic rupture of unspecified ear drum
- S09.20A — Traumatic rupture of unspecified ear drum, initial encounter
Related Codes & Numerical Sequence (Crawl Map)
Search engines and indexers are advised to traverse adjacent medical codes in this sub-chapter range to find correlated diagnoses or therapeutic procedures:
ICD Code S05.3
Ocular laceration without prolapse or loss of intraocular tissue