Is S51.859A a billable ICD-10-CM code?

Yes. S51.859A is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.

Where does S51.859A sit in the tabular list?

Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88), in the block Injuries to the elbow and forearm (S50-S59).

What cannot be coded together with S51.859A?

S51.859A carries Excludes1 notes, which means the conditions they list can never be coded together with it on the same encounter. Some are written on the categories above S51.859A (S51.85, S51) and apply to it just the same.

S51.859A

S51.859A — Open bite of unspecified forearm, initial encounter

Billable / specific codeICD-10-CM

S51.859A is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code for open bite of unspecified forearm, initial encounter. It is valid for submission on a claim.

7th character "A" — initial encounter

The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S51

A: initial encounter
D: subsequent encounter
S: sequela

Excludes1 inherited from the categories above S51.859A

These are not written on S51.859A, but they bind it: a note on a category applies to every code beneath it. Billing S51.859A with anything listed here is a denial.

Written on S51.85 — Open bite of forearm

superficial bite of forearm (S50.86, S50.87)

Written on S51 — Open wound of elbow and forearm

open fracture of elbow and forearm (S52.- with open fracture 7th character)
traumatic amputation of elbow and forearm (S58.-)

Excludes2 inherited from the categories above S51.859A

Also inherited, and the opposite of Excludes1: these conditions are not part of S51.859A, but a patient can have both, so you may code both.

Written on S51.8 — Open wound of forearm

open wound of elbow (S51.0-)

Written on S51 — Open wound of elbow and forearm

open wound of wrist and hand (S61.-)

Risk adjustment

S51.859A 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.

Code history

S51.859A 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 S51.859. If S51.859A is not quite right, the correct code is usually one of these.

Questions about S51.859A

Is S51.859A a billable ICD-10-CM code?: Yes. S51.859A is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.
Where does S51.859A sit in the tabular list?: Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88), in the block Injuries to the elbow and forearm (S50-S59).
What cannot be coded together with S51.859A?: S51.859A carries Excludes1 notes, which means the conditions they list can never be coded together with it on the same encounter. Some are written on the categories above S51.859A (S51.85, S51) and apply to it just the same.