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S12.45 ICD-10-CM Code: Other traumatic spondylolisthesis of fifth cervical vertebra

Billing Status: NO. This is a clinician non-billable / parent hierarchy grouping in the ICD-10-CM system.

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 S12.45 in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list, quoted as published.

Notes without a marker are published on S12.45 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

S12.450A, S12.450B, S12.450D, S12.450G, S12.450K, S12.450S, S12.451A, S12.451B

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.

Code Overview

Other traumatic spondylolisthesis of fifth cervical vertebra is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (S12.45). 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.

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

Other codes that name S12.45 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 S12.45 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 S12.45 with these 8 related codes in Claim Check

Hierarchy

Referenced by Excludes1 notes

Referenced by Excludes2 notes

Referenced by Use Additional Code instructions

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

Common coding questions

Can S12.45 be billed directly?

No. S12.45 (Other traumatic spondylolisthesis of fifth cervical vertebra) is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code. A more specific billable subcode must be selected based on clinical documentation.

Does S12.45 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 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

Change history

  • FY2016 — October 1, 2015
    In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption
    Other traumatic spondylolisthesis of fifth cervical vertebra

No changes since FY2016 — additions, deletions, description changes and billable-status changes are tracked through FY2027 (effective October 1, 2026), 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 S12.45 in its code family, with their registry titles.

View all codes in the S12 family