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ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code K42 K42.
Other intervertebral disc displacement, lumbar region M51. 26 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes. The 2022 edition of ICD-10-CM M51. 26 became effective on October 1, 2021.
L5/S1: A very large central and left-sided disc extrusion occupies 80% of the cross-sectional area of the spinal canal causing severe compression of the left, moderate compression of the right S1 root and severe compression of the lower sacral nerve roots within the thecal sac.
A disc extrusion is a type of severe disc herniation. It happens when the center - or nucleus - of an intervertebral disc escapes from the center of the disc. A disc that is extruded can occur in the neck, mid, or lower back, and can cause severe spinal related pain.
Overview. Herniated nucleus pulposus is a condition in which part or all of the soft, gelatinous central portion of an intervertebral disk is forced through a weakened part of the disk, resulting in back pain and nerve root irritation.
Disc herniation (termed as intervertebral disc displacement) is a type of spinal disease based on IDD or not, with local pain and/or sciatica due to mechanical compression and autoimmune cascades upon the corresponding nerve roots.
The L4-L5 disc in the low back is between the L4 vertebrae and L5 vertebrae which make up the L4-L5 spinal segment. The L5-S1 disc at the bottom of the spine lies between the L5 vertebra and the first bony segment at the top of the sacrum, which is sacral segment 1 (or S1).
L5-S1 is the exact spot where the lumbar spine ends and the sacral spine begins. The lumbosacral joint is the joint that connects these bones. L5-S1 is composed of the last bone in the low back, called L5, and the triangle-shaped bone beneath, known as the sacrum.
A lumbosacral spine x-ray is a picture of the small bones (vertebrae) in the lower part of the spine. This area includes the lumbar region and the sacrum, the area that connects the spine to the pelvis. This is the spine and the sacrum with the cervical (neck), thoracic (mid-back), and lumbar (lower back) vertebra.
A protrusion exists when only a few cartilage rings are torn and there is no actual leakage of the center material; the disc protrusion looks like a "bump". With an extrusion, all the cartilage rings have torn in a small area, allowing the jelly-like material to flow out of the disc.
Protrusion - Extrusion. Protrusion indicates that the distance between the edges of the disc herniation is less than the distance between the edges of the base. Extrusion is present when the distance between the edges of the disc material is greater than the distance at the base.
Disc herniation is pathologically divided into 4 stages of herniated nucleus pulposus: 1) bulging, 2) protrusion, 3) extrusion, 4) sequestration. The aim of this study is to analyze the correlation between the type and severity of degenerative changes in the spine and the incidence of neurological deficits.
Common areas of confusion include CPT code 63042. Re-exploration at a level with a recurrent disc herniation can only use CPT code 63042. It should only be used after the global period for the first disc surgery has expired. Repeat facetectomy and lateral recess decompression at a level with a prior decompression must use CPT code 63047 if no disc work is per-formed. The presence of a lumbar disc herniation (722.1) drives the CPT code.Another common misconception is code 63047. This code can be used unilaterally or bilaterally as long as the decompression involves the lateral recess and foramen. Posterior fusion codes that involve disc preparation (22630,22633) already take into account the decompression work. Using ad-ditional decompression codes (63005, 63012, 63030,63042, 63047) is not al-lowed.
The use of posterior fusion codes that encompass disc work (eg, 22630 and 22633) already take into account the removal of lamina, facets and ligamen-tum flavum. The interbody fusion codes also were written assuming bilateral interbody placement which requires bilateral decompression. In cases that require decompression plus fusion (L4-5 spondylolisthesis with central and lateral recess stenosis), only the fusion codes can be used.
2014 Common Coding Scenarios for Comprehensive Spine Care includes medical and surgical coding vignettes, key components to include in the procedure notes and proper coding of spine procedures for 2014.
Though it is not specifically mentioned, “thoracolumbar” likely only includes T12-L1, and “lumbosacral” probably only refers to the L5-S1 interspace. There is a strange rule for cervical disc disorders indicating that you should code to the most superior level of the disorder.
It is already included in the code. Likewise, don’t code sciatica (M54.3-) if you code for lumbar disc with radiculopathy. It would be redundant. On a side note, lumbar radiculopathy (M54.16) might be used if pain is not yet known to be due a disc, but it radiates from the lumbar spine.