# facet arthropathy



## Nagaraju.Eeda@omegahms.com

facet arthropathy - Lumbar : , L3, L4, L5 and S1  what is the ICD ?


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## mschaller

M12.9 - arthropathy, unspecified


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## mcnaryk

we tend to use M12.88 for facet arthropathy


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## Kristie123

*M12.88 or M12.9 ?*

Can anyone reply as to which one is more correct the M12.88 or M12.9, or would both be acceptable ?


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## bhavana

When we search Arthropathy it guides to see Arthritis     

Arthritis – Spine  it shows See also Spondylopathy Inflammatory

Arthropathy (*see also Arthritis*)M12.9-----Arthritis, arthritic (acute) (chronic) (nonpyogenic) (subacute); spine - *see also Spondylopathy, inflammatory--*

so the correct code is *M46.97*


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## Dmullenix

We use M46.96 for lumbar and M46.97 for lumbosacral


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## thomas7331

Our local MAC's LCD for facet joint injections and ablations (link below) instructs to use M12.88 for facet arthropathy.  

This code is also accessible via the ICD-10 index through this path:  arthropathy -> specified form NEC -> vertebrae

https://www.cms.gov/medicare-covera...&DocType=Active&Accept=Y&bc=AgACAAIAIAAAAA==&


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## rmwinder

bhavana...
I fell into that trap too.   However, unless there is a specific *type* of arthritis, Coding Clinic 2016, 4th quarter, instructs us to default to "osteoarthritis", M19.--.  M46 category is Inflammatory spondylopathy category...which we couldn't select from unless the physician actually documented "inflammatory arthritis/spondylopathy"...even though it looks like that is the coding path in the ICD-10 index.  So, in the absence of further verbiage of "inflammatory", and only having the term *arthritis*,  I would follow Coding Clinic guidance and select a code from the M19.-- category. As thomas7331 has shown, if you have the term "*arthropathy*" documented, you can follow the path in ICD-10 index and get to M12.88.  I've pasted the Coding Clinic, and a snip from the Coders Desk Reference.  It's all in the verbiage, and believe me, I had to study this for a while! 





Rhonda Winder, CPC, CPMA, CRC


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## jacksycz

Nagaraju.Eeda@omegahms.com said:


> facet arthropathy - Lumbar : , L3, L4, L5 and S1  what is the ICD ?



3rd quarter 2019: code to Spondylosis. M47.81-


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## jadhavganesh345@gmail.com

* M12.88 for facet arthropathy. *


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