M43 — Other deforming dorsopathies
Not billable
Is M43 billable?
No — M43 is a non-billable header code. M43 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 50 billable codes beneath M43.
Billable codes under this header
- M43.3Recurrent atlantoaxial dislocation with myelopathy
- M43.4Other recurrent atlantoaxial dislocation
- M43.6Torticollis
- M43.9Deforming dorsopathy, unspecified
- M43.00Spondylolysis, site unspecified
- M43.01Spondylolysis, occipito-atlanto-axial region
- M43.02Spondylolysis, cervical region
- M43.03Spondylolysis, cervicothoracic region
- M43.04Spondylolysis, thoracic region
- M43.05Spondylolysis, thoracolumbar region
- M43.06Spondylolysis, lumbar region
- M43.07Spondylolysis, lumbosacral region
- M43.08Spondylolysis, sacral and sacrococcygeal region
- M43.09Spondylolysis, multiple sites in spine
- M43.10Spondylolisthesis, site unspecified
- M43.11Spondylolisthesis, occipito-atlanto-axial region
- M43.12Spondylolisthesis, cervical region
- M43.13Spondylolisthesis, cervicothoracic region
- M43.14Spondylolisthesis, thoracic region
- M43.15Spondylolisthesis, thoracolumbar region
- M43.16Spondylolisthesis, lumbar region
- M43.17Spondylolisthesis, lumbosacral region
- M43.18Spondylolisthesis, sacral and sacrococcygeal region
- M43.19Spondylolisthesis, multiple sites in spine
- M43.20Fusion of spine, site unspecified
- M43.21Fusion of spine, occipito-atlanto-axial region
- M43.22Fusion of spine, cervical region
- M43.23Fusion of spine, cervicothoracic region
- M43.24Fusion of spine, thoracic region
- M43.25Fusion of spine, thoracolumbar region
- M43.26Fusion of spine, lumbar region
- M43.27Fusion of spine, lumbosacral region
- M43.28Fusion of spine, sacral and sacrococcygeal region
- M43.5X2Other recurrent vertebral dislocation, cervical region
- M43.5X3Other recurrent vertebral dislocation, cervicothoracic region
- M43.5X4Other recurrent vertebral dislocation, thoracic region
- M43.5X5Other recurrent vertebral dislocation, thoracolumbar region
- M43.5X6Other recurrent vertebral dislocation, lumbar region
- M43.5X7Other recurrent vertebral dislocation, lumbosacral region
- M43.5X8Other recurrent vertebral dislocation, sacral and sacrococcygeal region
- M43.5X9Other recurrent vertebral dislocation, site unspecified
- M43.8X1Other specified deforming dorsopathies, occipito-atlanto-axial region
- M43.8X2Other specified deforming dorsopathies, cervical region
- M43.8X3Other specified deforming dorsopathies, cervicothoracic region
- M43.8X4Other specified deforming dorsopathies, thoracic region
- M43.8X5Other specified deforming dorsopathies, thoracolumbar region
- M43.8X6Other specified deforming dorsopathies, lumbar region
- M43.8X7Other specified deforming dorsopathies, lumbosacral region
- M43.8X8Other specified deforming dorsopathies, sacral and sacrococcygeal region
- M43.8X9Other specified deforming dorsopathies, site unspecified
M43 at a glance
| Code | M43 |
|---|---|
| Description | Other deforming dorsopathies |
| Billable | No — header code |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Excludes1 — never code together
The conditions below can never be reported together with M43 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
- congenital spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis (Q76.2)
- hemivertebra (Q76.3-Q76.4)
- Klippel-Feil syndrome (Q76.1)
- lumbarization and sacralization (Q76.4)
- platyspondylisis (Q76.4)
- spina bifida occulta (Q76.0)
- spinal curvature in osteoporosis (M80.-)
- spinal curvature in Paget's disease of bone [osteitis deformans] (M88.-)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 13
The conditions below are not part of M43, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, M43 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)
What codes fall under M43? (9)
- M43.0Spondylolysisnot billable
- M43.1Spondylolisthesisnot billable
- M43.2Fusion of spinenot billable
- M43.3Recurrent atlantoaxial dislocation with myelopathy
- M43.4Other recurrent atlantoaxial dislocation
- M43.5Other recurrent vertebral dislocationnot billable
- M43.6Torticollis
- M43.8Other specified deforming dorsopathiesnot billable
- M43.9Deforming dorsopathy, unspecified
How long has M43 existed?
M43 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 M43?
ICD-10-CM declares these codes mutually exclusive with M43 — exactly one of each pair can be correct for a given encounter.