M53 — Other and unspecified dorsopathies, not elsewhere classified
Is M53 billable?
No — M53 is a non-billable header code. M53 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 22 billable codes beneath M53.
Billable codes under this header
- M53.0Cervicocranial syndrome
- M53.1Cervicobrachial syndrome
- M53.3Sacrococcygeal disorders, not elsewhere classified
- M53.9Dorsopathy, unspecified
- M53.80Other specified dorsopathies, site unspecified
- M53.81Other specified dorsopathies, occipito-atlanto-axial region
- M53.82Other specified dorsopathies, cervical region
- M53.83Other specified dorsopathies, cervicothoracic region
- M53.84Other specified dorsopathies, thoracic region
- M53.85Other specified dorsopathies, thoracolumbar region
- M53.86Other specified dorsopathies, lumbar region
- M53.87Other specified dorsopathies, lumbosacral region
- M53.88Other specified dorsopathies, sacral and sacrococcygeal region
- M53.2X1Spinal instabilities, occipito-atlanto-axial region
- M53.2X2Spinal instabilities, cervical region
- M53.2X3Spinal instabilities, cervicothoracic region
- M53.2X4Spinal instabilities, thoracic region
- M53.2X5Spinal instabilities, thoracolumbar region
- M53.2X6Spinal instabilities, lumbar region
- M53.2X7Spinal instabilities, lumbosacral region
- M53.2X8Spinal instabilities, sacral and sacrococcygeal region
- M53.2X9Spinal instabilities, site unspecified
M53 at a glance
| Code | M53 |
|---|---|
| Description | Other and unspecified dorsopathies, not elsewhere classified |
| Billable | No — header code |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from M50-M54
The conditions below can never be reported together with M53 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
- current injury - see injury of spine by body region
- discitis NOS (M46.4-)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 13
The conditions below are not part of M53, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, M53 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 M53? (6)
How long has M53 existed?
M53 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 M53?
ICD-10-CM declares these codes mutually exclusive with M53 — exactly one of each pair can be correct for a given encounter.