Wiki DJD of shoulder,hip and knee

[buppkl]

How is anyone else coding for joint replacements when the dx just states degenerative joint disease of specified hip, knee or shoulder but does not specify primary or secondary? Pathologists would not necessarily have that specific info available to them. I have been coding M16.9 (hip), M17.9 (knee) and am not stuck as to what to code for the shoulder. It is specified as right but no other info. and ICD10 does not have a shoulder unspecified code., it only has primary, post-traumatic or secondary. M19.90???

 

[bbooks]

We had this same discussion recently. Our decision is that if neither the surgeon nor the pathologist gives any indication as to primary, post-traumatic, or otherwise, then we will code as you do, with the unspecified code.

For shoulder, you can follow the index to M19.9-. So, if unspecified as to primary, etc., then M19.90.