M48.44 — Fatigue fracture of vertebra, thoracic region
M48.44 is a non-billable header ICD-10-CM code for fatigue fracture of vertebra, thoracic region. It cannot be billed on its own: choose one of the more specific child codes below. This code also requires a 7th character before it is complete.
This code requires a 7th character
The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from subcategory M48.4:
- A
- initial encounter for fracture
- D
- subsequent encounter for fracture with routine healing
- G
- subsequent encounter for fracture with delayed healing
- S
- sequela of fracture
Risk adjustment
M48.44 does not map to an HCC and does not risk-adjust under CMS-HCC V28. That is normal — most ICD-10 codes do not. It still needs to be coded correctly; it just will not move a RAF score.
How M48.44 is indexed
Coders do not find codes by browsing the tabular list — they look them up in the alphabetic index, under the word the physician wrote. These are the index entries that lead here, so you can see which chart wordings map to M48.44.
- Fracture, traumatic›fatigue›vertebra›thoracic region
Code to one of these instead M48.44
4 child codes. Green means billable.
- M48.44XAFatigue fracture of vertebra, thoracic region, initial encounter for fracture
- M48.44XDFatigue fracture of vertebra, thoracic region, subsequent encounter for fracture with routine healing
- M48.44XGFatigue fracture of vertebra, thoracic region, subsequent encounter for fracture with delayed healing
- M48.44XSFatigue fracture of vertebra, thoracic region, sequela of fracture
Related codes at this level
Codes that share M48.4. If M48.44 is not quite right, the correct code is usually one of these.
- M48.40Fatigue fracture of vertebra, site unspecified
- M48.41Fatigue fracture of vertebra, occipito-atlanto-axial region
- M48.42Fatigue fracture of vertebra, cervical region
- M48.43Fatigue fracture of vertebra, cervicothoracic region
- M48.45Fatigue fracture of vertebra, thoracolumbar region
- M48.46Fatigue fracture of vertebra, lumbar region
- M48.47Fatigue fracture of vertebra, lumbosacral region
- M48.48Fatigue fracture of vertebra, sacral and sacrococcygeal region
Questions about M48.44
- Is M48.44 a billable ICD-10-CM code?
- No. M48.44 is a non-billable header code. Code to a higher level of specificity using one of its child codes.
- Where does M48.44 sit in the tabular list?
- Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99), in the block Spondylopathies (M45-M49).