# Spinal diagnoses



## Erin Go Braugh! (Aug 21, 2012)

I am wondering what the correct ICD-9 codes are for these seemingly interchangeable diagnoses:

DISK BULGING
MULTILEVEL DEGENERATIVE CHANGES
NEURAL FORAMINAL STENOSIS
FACET HYPERTROPHIC CHANGE
ANTEROLISTHESIS
RETROLISTHESIS
LUMBAR LEVOSCOLIOSIS

I know these can be described as stenosis and osteoarthrosis, it just seems difficult to differentiate if they are separate conditions or if they should be considered part of other codes. 

Thanks!


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## jbrightw (Aug 22, 2012)

*See Excludes note*

You can code 737.30 (LUMBAR LEVOSCOLIOSIS), 738.4 (ANTEROLISTHESIS & RETROLISTHESIS) only. 

MULTILEVEL DEGENERATIVE CHANGES (721.90), NEURAL FORAMINAL STENOSIS (724.00) and Disk bulging (722.2) are excluded by 737.30.

Hope you understand

Brightwin


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