2027 ICD-10 Coding Changes Go Into Effect October 1. Here's What Could Impact Rehab Therapists

Fall is the season of change. The fun kind of change is seeing the leaves turn, feeling the chill creep into the air, watching pumpkin spice overrun every food and beverage. Less thrilling are the coding changes coming forth for ICD-10-CM codes—unless you’re a coding enthusiast, in which case, let us not dampen your spirit.

CMS has promulgated the latest set of changes, which you can read in full here. You can also head over to the CMS website and download the 2027 Addendum under 2027 ICD-10-CM files, if you’re a fan of hitting up the font of information at the source. 

If you’re not looking to peruse the whole list (a mere 25 pages compared to the 1,500+ pages of the proposed rule, I will say), we have pulled out the changes most likely to affect musculoskeletal mavens such as yourself.  

M67 Other disorders of synovium and tendon 

With M67 Other disorders of synovium and tendon, they are adding:

• M67.A Plantar fasciitis 
• M67.A0 Plantar fasciitis, foot 
• M67.A01 Plantar fasciitis, right foot 
• M67.A02 Plantar fasciitis, left foot 
• M67.A09 Plantar fasciitis, unspecified foot 
• Plantar fasciitis NOS

M72.2 Plantar fascial fibromatosis

For M72.2 Plantar fascial fibromatosis, they are:  

• Delete Plantar fasciitis 
• Add Ledderhose disease 
• Add M72.20 Plantar fascial fibromatosis, unspecified foot 
• Add M72.21 Plantar fascial fibromatosis, right foot 
• Add M72.22 Plantar fascial fibromatosis, left foot 

For M72.8 Other fibroblastic disorders Excludes1 edits, plantar fasciitis (M72.2) has been revised to plantar fasciitis (M67.A0-). 

Fasciitis M72.9 

• Revise from plantar M72.2 
• Revise to plantar (foot) M67.A0- 

M86.8X Other osteomyelitis 

For M86.8X1 Other osteomyelitis, shoulder, they are adding:

• M86.8X11 Other osteomyelitis, right shoulder 
• M86.8X12 Other osteomyelitis, left shoulder 
• M86.8X19 Other osteomyelitis, unspecified shoulder 

M86.8X2 Other osteomyelitis, upper arm 

For M86.8X2 Other osteomyelitis, upper arm, they are adding:

• M86.8X21 Other osteomyelitis, right upper arm 
• M86.8X22 Other osteomyelitis, left upper arm 
• M86.8X29 Other osteomyelitis, unspecified upper arm 

M86.8X3 Other osteomyelitis, forearm 

For M86.8X3 Other osteomyelitis, forearm, they are adding:

• M86.8X31 Other osteomyelitis, right forearm 
• M86.8X32 Other osteomyelitis, left forearm 
• M86.8X39 Other osteomyelitis, unspecified forearm 

M86.8X4 Other osteomyelitis, hand

For M86.8X4 Other osteomyelitis, hand, they are adding:  

• M86.8X41 Other osteomyelitis, right hand 
• M86.8X42 Other osteomyelitis, left hand 
• M86.8X49 Other osteomyelitis, unspecified hand 

M86.8X5 Other osteomyelitis, thigh

For M86.8X5 Other osteomyelitis, thigh, they are adding: 

• M86.8X51 Other osteomyelitis, right thigh
• M86.8X52 Other osteomyelitis, left thigh
• M86.8X59 Other osteomyelitis, unspecified thigh

M86.8X6 Other osteomyelitis, lower leg

For M86.8X6 Other osteomyelitis, lower leg, they are adding: 

• M86.8X61 Other osteomyelitis, right lower leg
• M86.8X62 Other osteomyelitis, left lower leg
• M86.8X69 Other osteomyelitis, unspecified lower leg

M86.8X7 Other osteomyelitis, ankle and foot

For M86.8X7 Other osteomyelitis, ankle and foot, they are adding: 

• M86.8X71 Other osteomyelitis, right ankle and foot
• M86.8X72 Other osteomyelitis, left ankle and foot
• M86.8X79 Other osteomyelitis, unspecified ankle and foot

M86.8X8 Other osteomyelitis, other site

For M86.8X8 Other osteomyelitis, other site, they are adding: 

• M86.8X80 Other osteomyelitis, skull
• M86.8X81 Other osteomyelitis, face and sinuses
• Pott's puffy tumor
• M86.8X89 Other osteomyelitis, other site

R26.2 Difficulty in walking, not elsewhere classified 

For R26.2 Difficulty in walking, not elsewhere classified, they are:  

• Deleting Excludes1: unsteadiness on feet (R26.81) 
• Adding Excludes2: unsteadiness on feet (R26.81)