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Orthopedic Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

Lumbar Disc Disease

Published on Sun Dec 01, 2002

Question: Are lumbar discogenic disease and lumbar disc disease coded as 722.10 (Lumbar intervertebral disc without myelopathy)? Would this code be appropriate if the patient had lumbar disc disease with radiculopathy? Ohio Subscriber Answer: A more accurate code for lumbar discogene-ic disease (also known as lumbar disc disease) is 722.52 (Degeneration of lumbar or lumbosacral intervertebral disc). If the patient also has radiculopathy, you should submit 724.4 (Thoracic or lumbosacral neuritis or radiculitis, unspecified) as a secondary code to offer the insurer a full picture of the patient's condition.
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