M22.4 — Chondromalacia patellae
Is M22.4 billable?
No — M22.4 is a non-billable header code. M22.4 groups more specific codes and cannot be submitted on a claim. A valid ICD-10-CM code must be reported at the highest level of specificity available in its branch. Select one of the 3 billable codes beneath M22.4.
Billable codes under this header
M22.4 at a glance
| Code | M22.4 |
|---|---|
| Description | Chondromalacia patellae |
| Billable | No — header code |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
How is M22.4 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to M22.4. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.
- Chondromalacia › patella (systemic)
- Chondromalacia › knee › patella (systemic)
- Softening › cartilage › patella
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 13
The conditions below are not part of M22.4, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, M22.4 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- arthropathic psoriasis (L40.5-)
- certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
- certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
- compartment syndrome (traumatic) (T79.A-)
- complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
- congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
- endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
- injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
- neoplasms (C00-D49)
- symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from M20-M25
The conditions below are not part of M22.4, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, M22.4 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- joints of the spine (M40-M54)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from M22
The conditions below are not part of M22.4, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, M22.4 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- traumatic dislocation of patella (S83.0-)
What codes fall under M22.4? (3)
How long has M22.4 existed?
M22.4 has been in ICD-10-CM since at least FY2016, the earliest fiscal year on record here.
Derived from the official order files for FY2016–FY2026. FY2017 and FY2020 publish no order file, so those years are not covered.
Which codes are confused with M22.4?
ICD-10-CM declares these codes mutually exclusive with M22.4 — exactly one of each pair can be correct for a given encounter.