DxCodebookFY2027 · Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

Category · FY2027

M51 Thoracic, thoracolumbar, and lumbosacral intervertebral disc disorders

  • Header · not billable

M51 is not billable. The category heads 36 billable codes in FY2027, grouped under 8 subdivisions.

Index → code

  • Disorder (of)disc (intervertebral) → M51.9
  • Tear, torn (traumatic)annular fibrosis → M51.35
  • Schmorl's disease or nodeslumbar region → M51.46

Where it sits

  1. Chapter 13 Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99)
  2. M50-M54 Other dorsopathies (M50-M54)
  3. M51 Thoracic, thoracolumbar, and lumbosacral intervertebral disc disorders
Billable codes
36
Subdivisions
8
CC / MCC codes
3 / 0
HCC V28 codes
0
New FY2027
0
Index entries
61

Codes in M51

  1. M51.0
    Thoracic, thoracolumbar and lumbosacral intervertebral disc disorders with myelopathy
    Header
  2. M51.04
    Intervertebral disc disorders with myelopathy, thoracic region
    BillableCC
  3. M51.05
    Intervertebral disc disorders with myelopathy, thoracolumbar region
    BillableCC
  4. M51.06
    Intervertebral disc disorders with myelopathy, lumbar region
    BillableCC
  5. M51.1
    Thoracic, thoracolumbar and lumbosacral intervertebral disc disorders with radiculopathy
    Header
    Inclusion terms 1, Excludes1 2

    Inclusion terms

    • Sciatica due to intervertebral disc disorder

    Excludes1

    • lumbar radiculitis NOS (M54.16) M54.16
    • sciatica NOS (M54.3) M54.3
  6. M51.14
    Intervertebral disc disorders with radiculopathy, thoracic region
    Billable
  7. M51.15
    Intervertebral disc disorders with radiculopathy, thoracolumbar region
    Billable
  8. M51.16
    Intervertebral disc disorders with radiculopathy, lumbar region
    Billable
  9. M51.17
    Intervertebral disc disorders with radiculopathy, lumbosacral region
    Billable
  10. M51.2
    Other thoracic, thoracolumbar and lumbosacral intervertebral disc displacement
    Header
    Inclusion terms 1

    Inclusion terms

    • Lumbago due to displacement of intervertebral disc
  11. M51.24
    Other intervertebral disc displacement, thoracic region
    Billable
  12. M51.25
    Other intervertebral disc displacement, thoracolumbar region
    Billable
  13. M51.26
    Other intervertebral disc displacement, lumbar region
    Billable
  14. M51.27
    Other intervertebral disc displacement, lumbosacral region
    Billable
  15. M51.3
    Other thoracic, thoracolumbar and lumbosacral intervertebral disc degeneration
    Header
  16. M51.34
    Other intervertebral disc degeneration, thoracic region
    Billable
  17. M51.35
    Other intervertebral disc degeneration, thoracolumbar region
    Billable
  18. M51.36
    Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region
    Header
  19. M51.360
    Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region with discogenic back pain only
    Billable
    Inclusion terms 1

    Inclusion terms

    • Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region with axial back pain only
  20. M51.361
    Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region with lower extremity pain only
    Billable
    Inclusion terms 2

    Inclusion terms

    • Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region with leg pain only
    • Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region with referred sclerotomal pain only
  21. M51.362
    Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region with discogenic back pain and lower extremity pain
    Billable
    Inclusion terms 2

    Inclusion terms

    • Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region with discogenic back pain and leg pain
    • Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region with axial back pain and referred sclerotomal pain
  22. M51.369
    Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region without mention of lumbar back pain or lower extremity pain
    Billable
    Inclusion terms 2

    Inclusion terms

    • Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region without mention of lumbar back pain or leg pain
    • Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region, NOS
  23. M51.37
    Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbosacral region
    Header
  24. M51.370
    Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbosacral region with discogenic back pain only
    Billable
    Inclusion terms 1

    Inclusion terms

    • Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbosacral region with axial back pain only
  25. M51.371
    Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbosacral region with lower extremity pain only
    Billable
    Inclusion terms 2

    Inclusion terms

    • Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbosacral region with leg pain only
    • Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbosacral region with referred sclerotomal pain only
  26. M51.372
    Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbosacral region with discogenic back pain and lower extremity pain
    Billable
    Inclusion terms 2

    Inclusion terms

    • Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbosacral region with discogenic back pain and leg pain
    • Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbosacral region with axial back pain and referred sclerotomal pain
  27. M51.379
    Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbosacral region without mention of lumbar back pain or lower extremity pain
    Billable
    Inclusion terms 2

    Inclusion terms

    • Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbosacral region without mention of lumbar back pain or leg pain
    • Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbosacral region, NOS
  28. M51.4
    Schmorl's nodes
    Header
  29. M51.44
    Schmorl's nodes, thoracic region
    Billable
  30. M51.45
    Schmorl's nodes, thoracolumbar region
    Billable
  31. M51.46
    Schmorl's nodes, lumbar region
    Billable
  32. M51.47
    Schmorl's nodes, lumbosacral region
    Billable
  33. M51.8
    Other thoracic, thoracolumbar and lumbosacral intervertebral disc disorders
    Header
  34. M51.84
    Other intervertebral disc disorders, thoracic region
    Billable
  35. M51.85
    Other intervertebral disc disorders, thoracolumbar region
    Billable
  36. M51.86
    Other intervertebral disc disorders, lumbar region
    Billable
  37. M51.87
    Other intervertebral disc disorders, lumbosacral region
    Billable
  38. M51.9
    Unspecified thoracic, thoracolumbar and lumbosacral intervertebral disc disorder
    Billable
  39. M51.A
    Other lumbar and lumbosacral annulus fibrosus disc defects
    Header
  40. M51.A0
    Intervertebral annulus fibrosus defect, lumbar region, unspecified size
    Billable
    Code first 1

    Code first

  41. M51.A1
    Intervertebral annulus fibrosus defect, small, lumbar region
    Billable
    Code first 1

    Code first

  42. M51.A2
    Intervertebral annulus fibrosus defect, large, lumbar region
    Billable
    Code first 1

    Code first

  43. M51.A3
    Intervertebral annulus fibrosus defect, lumbosacral region, unspecified size
    Billable
    Code first 1

    Code first

    • , if applicable, lumbosacral disc herniation (M51.17, M51.27) M51.17 M51.27
  44. M51.A4
    Intervertebral annulus fibrosus defect, small, lumbosacral region
    Billable
    Code first 1

    Code first

    • , if applicable, lumbosacral disc herniation (M51.17, M51.27) M51.17 M51.27
  45. M51.A5
    Intervertebral annulus fibrosus defect, large, lumbosacral region
    Billable
    Code first 1

    Code first

    • , if applicable, lumbosacral disc herniation (M51.17, M51.27) M51.17 M51.27

CC/MCC: as a secondary diagnosis, unless the principal diagnosis is on the code’s PDX exclusion list (MS-DRG v44 Appendix C; list on the code card).

Sources of each column.

Instructions

At M51

Excludes2

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

Notes that also apply

Block M50-M54 instructions (Excludes1 2): printed on the block page.

Chapter 13 instructions (Notes 1, Excludes2 10): printed on the chapter 13 page.

Index entries

  • Lumbago, lumbalgiadue to displacement, intervertebral disc → M51.27
  • Tear, torn (traumatic)annular fibrosis → M51.35
  • Schmorl's disease or nodesthoracic region → M51.44
  • Schmorl's disease or nodesthoracolumbar region → M51.45
  • Schmorl's disease or nodeslumbar region → M51.46
  • Schmorl's disease or nodeslumbosacral region → M51.47
  • Defect, defectiveintervertebral annular fibrosis → M51.9
  • Disorder (of)disc (intervertebral) → M51.9
  • Lumbago, lumbalgiawith sciaticadue to intervertebral disc disorder → M51.17
  • Lumbago, lumbalgiadue to displacement, intervertebral discwith sciatica → M51.17
  • Displacement, displacedintervertebral disc NECthoracic region → M51.24
  • Displacement, displacedintervertebral disc NECthoracolumbar region → M51.25
  • Displacement, displacedintervertebral disc NEClumbar region → M51.26
  • Displacement, displacedintervertebral disc NEClumbosacral region → M51.27
  • Degeneration, degenerativeintervertebral discthoracic region → M51.34
  • Degeneration, degenerativeintervertebral discthoracolumbar region → M51.35
  • Degeneration, degenerativeintervertebral disclumbar region → M51.36-
  • Degeneration, degenerativeintervertebral disclumbosacral region → M51.37-
  • Neuritis (rheumatoid)due toherniation, nucleus pulposus → M51.9 [G55]
  • Defect, defectiveintervertebral annular fibrosislumbar → M51.A0
  • Defect, defectiveintervertebral annular fibrosislumbosacral → M51.A3
  • Disease, diseasedintervertebral discthoracic (with)myelopathy → M51.04
  • Disease, diseasedintervertebral discthoracolumbar (with)myelopathy → M51.05
  • Disease, diseasedintervertebral disclumbar (with)myelopathy → M51.06
  • Disease, diseasedintervertebral discthoracic (with)neuritis, radiculitis or radiculopathy → M51.14
  • Disease, diseasedintervertebral discthoracolumbar (with)neuritis, radiculitis or radiculopathy → M51.15
  • Disease, diseasedintervertebral disclumbar (with)neuritis, radiculitis, radiculopathy or sciatica → M51.16
  • Disease, diseasedintervertebral disclumbosacral (with)neuritis, radiculitis, radiculopathy or sciatica → M51.17
  • Disease, diseasedintervertebral discthoracic (with)specified NEC → M51.84
  • Disorder (of)disc (intervertebral)specified NECthoracic region → M51.84
  • Disease, diseasedintervertebral discthoracolumbar (with)specified NEC → M51.85
  • Disorder (of)disc (intervertebral)specified NECthoracolumbar region → M51.85
  • Disease, diseasedintervertebral disclumbar (with)specified NEC → M51.86
  • Disorder (of)disc (intervertebral)specified NEClumbar region → M51.86
  • Disease, diseasedintervertebral disclumbosacral (with)specified NEC → M51.87
  • Disorder (of)disc (intervertebral)specified NEClumbosacral region → M51.87
  • Defect, defectiveintervertebral annular fibrosislumbarsmall → M51.A1
  • Defect, defectiveintervertebral annular fibrosislumbarlarge → M51.A2
  • Defect, defectiveintervertebral annular fibrosislumbosacralsmall → M51.A4
  • Defect, defectiveintervertebral annular fibrosislumbosacrallarge → M51.A5

21 more, longer entries are not listed; the search box finds them by word.

NCHS Alphabetic Index. Index first, then the Tabular List.

Hierarchy