Is M51.44 a billable ICD-10-CM code?

Yes. M51.44 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.

Where does M51.44 sit in the tabular list?

Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99), in the block Other dorsopathies (M50-M54).

M51.44

M51.44 — Schmorl's nodes, thoracic region

Billable / specific codeICD-10-CM

M51.44 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code for schmorl's nodes, thoracic region. It is valid for submission on a claim.

Excludes2 inherited from the categories above M51.44

Also inherited, and the opposite of Excludes1: these conditions are not part of M51.44, but a patient can have both, so you may code both.

Written on M51 — Thoracic, thoracolumbar, and lumbosacral intervertebral disc disorders

cervical and cervicothoracic disc disorders (M50.-)
sacral and sacrococcygeal disorders (M53.3)

Other codes that can never be billed with M51.44

These codes carry an Excludes1 note pointing at M51.44. The conflict binds both ways, but ICD-10-CM only writes it down on one side — so you would not find this by reading M51.44 alone.

M54.6Pain in thoracic spine
S23.0Traumatic rupture of thoracic intervertebral disc
S23.0XXATraumatic rupture of thoracic intervertebral disc, initial encounter
S23.0XXDTraumatic rupture of thoracic intervertebral disc, subsequent encounter
S23.0XXSTraumatic rupture of thoracic intervertebral disc, sequela
S33Dislocation and sprain of joints and ligaments of lumbar spine and pelvis
S33.0Traumatic rupture of lumbar intervertebral disc
S33.0XXATraumatic rupture of lumbar intervertebral disc, initial encounter

Risk adjustment

M51.44 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.

Medicare coverage

M51.44 is named in 16 Medicare coverage policies — 9 listing it as supporting medical necessity, and 7 listing it as NOT covered. Which of them applies to you depends on your Medicare contractor, and coverage genuinely differs by state.

A58865Billing and Coding: Amniotic and Placental-Derived Product Injections and/or Applications for Musculoskeletal Indications, Non-Woundnot covered
A58883Billing and Coding: Amniotic and Placental-Derived Product Injections and/or Applications for Musculoskeletal Indications, Non-Woundnot covered
A58893Billing and Coding: Amniotic and Placental-Derived Product Injections and/or Applications for Musculoskeletal Indications, Non-Woundnot covered
A59374Billing and Coding: Amniotic and Placental-Derived Product Injections and/or Applications for Musculoskeletal Indications, Non-Woundnot covered

How M51.44 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 M51.44.

Schmorl's disease or nodes›thoracic region

Code history

M51.44 has not changed since FY2024 — no addition, revision or deletion across the three most recent ICD-10-CM releases.

Related codes at this level

Codes that share M51.4. If M51.44 is not quite right, the correct code is usually one of these.

Questions about M51.44

Is M51.44 a billable ICD-10-CM code?: Yes. M51.44 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.
Where does M51.44 sit in the tabular list?: Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99), in the block Other dorsopathies (M50-M54).