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S12.120 ICD-10-CM Code: Other displaced dens fracture

Compare with another codeCheck this code on a claim

Billing Status: NO. This is a non-billable ICD-10-CM code: report a more specific billable code beneath it.

Coding at a Glance

7th character
Required — see the character table on this page
Tabular directives
9 inclusion terms · 7 Excludes2 · 1 code-first instruction

Coding instructions

Official Tabular Instructional Notes: the inclusion, exclusion and sequencing notes published for S12.120 in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list, quoted as published.

Source: CMS/CDC — ICD-10-CM Tabular ListRelease: FY2027Effective: October 1, 2026

Trace:FY2027 changesChange historyRelease, file and checksum

Notes without a marker are published on S12.120 itself; “inherited from” names the category or block whose note applies here.

Includes

Conditions the official ICD-10-CM tabular list includes under this code.

  • fracture of cervical neural arch inherited from S12
  • fracture of cervical spine inherited from S12
  • fracture of cervical spinous process inherited from S12
  • fracture of cervical transverse process inherited from S12
  • fracture of cervical vertebral arch inherited from S12
  • fracture of neck inherited from S12
  • injuries of nape inherited from S10-S19
  • injuries of supraclavicular region inherited from S10-S19
  • injuries of throat inherited from S10-S19

Excludes2 — Not Included Here

Conditions not covered by this code, but which may be reported alongside it when both are present.

Source: inherited from S10-S19

Code First

Underlying conditions that must be sequenced before this code.

  • any associated cervical spinal cord injury (S14.0, S14.1-)

Source: inherited from S12

7th Character Guide

"The appropriate 7th character is to be added to all codes from subcategories S12.0-S12.6"

  • A — initial encounter for closed fracture
  • B — initial encounter for open fracture
  • D — subsequent encounter for fracture with routine healing
  • G — subsequent encounter for fracture with delayed healing
  • K — subsequent encounter for fracture with nonunion
  • S — sequela

How the encounter character is assigned. “Initial encounter” means the patient is receiving active treatment for the condition — it is not limited to the first visit, and a different or new provider giving active treatment still assigns it. “Subsequent encounter” covers care during the healing or recovery phase after active treatment. “Sequela” is for complications or conditions that arise as a direct result of the original condition.

ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, Section I.C.19.a (paraphrased by MedCoder).

Variant codes in this family

S12.120A, S12.120B, S12.120D, S12.120G, S12.120K, S12.120S

Character meanings are CMS's official 7th-character extensions for this family, as carried in each variant code's official description; variant codes are registry rows. The explanation of how the encounter character is assigned is MedCoder editorial, distinct from the official content above it.

Coder workflow for S12.120

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

Before you code S12.120

  1. S12.120 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).

    ReviewS12.120A, S12.120B, S12.120D, S12.120G, S12.120K, S12.120S

    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 S12.120; 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. A 7th character is required in this family. Confirm the documented encounter: initial (active treatment), subsequent (healing or recovery phase), or sequela. S12.120 is not valid without one. “Initial” means active treatment, not the first visit (Guidelines I.C.19.a).

    See the 7th Character Guide · Guide: 7th characters: initial, subsequent, sequela →

  4. Confirm the injury type, the anatomical site at the most specific level documented, laterality where the family codes it, and the encounter for the 7th character. Each injury is coded separately unless the classification provides a combination code, and a superficial injury is not coded when a more severe injury of the same site is documented. A fracture not documented as open or closed is coded as closed; one not documented as displaced or nondisplaced is coded as displaced. Injury chapter guidelines (Guidelines I.C.19.b, I.C.19.b.1, I.C.19.c).

    Guide: Traumatic vs pathological vs stress fracture →

Choose the right path

  1. Does the documentation support one of the more specific codes beneath S12.120?
    Yes → Select that code and continue the checks below on its own page.
    No → S12.120 cannot be reported as written; query for the specificity its subcategory needs.

    ReviewS12.120A, S12.120B, S12.120D, S12.120G, S12.120K, S12.120S

  2. Is the underlying (etiologic) condition the Code First note names documented?
    Yes → Sequence the underlying condition first, then S12.120.
    No → Continue; do not add an underlying condition the record does not document.

    ReviewS14.0, S14.1

  3. Is the encounter phase documented — active treatment, healing or recovery, or a sequela?
    Yes → Assign the matching 7th character; the variant codes are in the 7th Character Guide.
    No → The code is invalid without its 7th character — query for the missing element.

Consider S12.120. 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).
Anatomical site
At the most specific level the record states; a site the classification separates cannot be assumed from a procedure or a measurement.
Encounter type
Active treatment, healing or recovery phase, or sequela — the basis of the 7th character (Guidelines I.C.19.a).
Open or closed; displaced or nondisplaced
Defaults apply when the record is silent: closed, and displaced (Guidelines I.C.19.c).
The underlying (etiologic) condition
Named in the Code First note; sequenced before this code when documented (Guidelines I.A.13).
External cause, place and activity
For the external cause codes reported with the injury or poisoning, where documented (Guidelines I.C.20.a).
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

  • Excludes2 — not part of S12.120(7 notes)

    Coding workflow: The conditions named in this note are not included in S12.120. When the record documents both, both may be reported; the note is a boundary, not a prohibition.

    CompareT18.1, T17.3, T17.2, T17.4, T63.4

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

  • Code First — sequencing check(1 note)

    Coding workflow: Check whether the underlying or etiologic condition the note names is documented. When it is, sequence it before S12.120. Do not add an underlying condition the record does not document.

    ReviewS14.0, S14.1

    See the official tabular notes · Guidelines I.A.13

Coding decision scenarios

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

Documentation: The patient returns during the healing or recovery phase after active treatment of the same condition.

Coding question: Which 7th character applies?

Path: Review the official 7th-character definitions for this family in the 7th Character Guide.

Reason: “Initial encounter” means active treatment, not the first visit; care during recovery takes “subsequent encounter”, and a complication arising from the original condition takes “sequela” (Guidelines I.C.19.a).

Documentation: The underlying condition the Code First note names is documented alongside this condition.

Coding question: How are the two sequenced?

Path: Review the Code First note.

Reason: The underlying condition is sequenced first and the manifestation follows (Guidelines I.A.13).

ReviewS14.0, S14.1

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.

Coding context

The comparisons, hierarchy, index entries, guidelines, relationships, risk-adjustment and coverage context a coder commonly needs. Each section names whether it is official source data, a MedCoder-derived relationship or MedCoder editorial.

Don’t confuse S12.120 with…

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

The codes most likely to be picked instead of S12.120 — 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.

  • S12.120A— Encounter relationship (Review)

    Same underlying diagnosis, different encounter phase.

    The same diagnosis at a different phase of care; one encounter takes one 7th character.

    What moves you there: Documentation of a initial encounter for closed fracture moves the case to S12.120A.

    Full comparison: S12.120 vs S12.120A →

  • S12.120B— Encounter relationship (Review)

    Same underlying diagnosis, different encounter phase.

    The same diagnosis at a different phase of care; one encounter takes one 7th character.

    What moves you there: Documentation of a initial encounter for open fracture moves the case to S12.120B.

    Full comparison: S12.120 vs S12.120B →

  • T20— 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 burns and corrosions adds T20; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: S12.120 vs T20 →

  • T32— 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 burns and corrosions adds T32; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: S12.120 vs T32 →

  • T18.1— 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 effects of foreign body in esophagus adds T18.1; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: S12.120 vs T18.1 →

  • T17.3— 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 effects of foreign body in larynx adds T17.3; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: S12.120 vs T17.3 →

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.

Code Overview

Other displaced dens fracture is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (S12.120). A more specific billable subcode must be selected for claims submission.

MedCoder summary Summary composed by MedCoder from this code's official ICD-10-CM record. The tabular instructional notes themselves appear verbatim below.

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.

Decision Points

The directives on this code's own record, as a pre-claim checklist.

  1. A 7th character applies in this family. Confirm the documented encounter matches the character assigned. See the official 7th-character definitions and this code’s variants
  2. Sequencing: 1 Code First instruction — the underlying condition is sequenced before this code when present. See the Code First notes
  3. 7 Excludes2 entries — those conditions are not part of this code and may be reported additionally when documented. See the Excludes2 notes

Checklist rows are derived from this code's own official directives; the wording of each check is MedCoder editorial. The official notes themselves are in the sections each row links to.

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-derived relationships — computed from published CMS and AHRQ datasets

Other codes that name S12.120 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 4 Excludes1 notes: M48.4 — Fatigue fracture of vertebra (via S12.-), M48.5 — Collapsed vertebra, not elsewhere classified (via S12.-), M84.3 — Stress fracture (via S12.-), M84.4 — Pathological fracture, not elsewhere classified (via S12.-).

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

Referenced by 3 Excludes2 notes: S11 — Open wound of neck (via S12.-), S13.1 — Subluxation and dislocation of cervical vertebrae (via S12.-), S27 — Injury of other and unspecified intrathoracic organs (via S12.-).

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

Referenced by 1 Use Additional Code instruction: T71.16 — Asphyxiation due to hanging (via S12.-).

These codes instruct coders to additionally report this code when it applies.

Contextual Map

Every relationship of S12.120 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 S12.120 with these 8 related codes in Claim Check

Hierarchy

Referenced by Excludes1 notes

Referenced by Excludes2 notes

Referenced by Use Additional Code instructions

Index entries

  • Fracture, traumatic (abduction) (adduction) (separation), neck, cervical vertebra, second (displaced), dens (anterior) (displaced) (type II), specified type NEC (displaced)[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

Deep reference

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

Common coding questions

MedCoder editorial

Can S12.120 be billed directly?

No. S12.120 (Other displaced dens fracture) is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code. A more specific billable subcode must be selected based on clinical documentation.

Does S12.120 require a 7th character?

Yes. The appropriate 7th character is to be added to all codes from subcategories S12.0-S12.6.

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-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. "S12.120 — Other displaced dens fracture." ICD-10-CM FY2027. https://medcoder.ai/icd10/code/s12.120-other-displaced-dens-fracture

Change history

  • FY2016 — October 1, 2015
    In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption
    Other displaced dens fracture

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 S12.120 in its code family, with their registry titles.

View all codes in the S12 family