Costochondritis is a condition that causes inflammation of the cartilage that connects your ribs to your breastbone (sternum). In medical coding, the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) is used to categorize and code diagnoses. The code for costochondritis in ICD-10 is M94.0.
M94.0 is classified under the category “Disorders of cartilage, not elsewhere classified” (M94), which includes other conditions that affect cartilage in the body.
When coding for costochondritis, it is important to ensure that the documentation supports the diagnosis, and that the appropriate level of specificity is used in the code selection.
For example, if the medical record specifies that the patient has acute costochondritis, the code to use is M94.00 (Acute costochondritis, unspecified site). If the record indicates that the patient has chronic costochondritis, the code to use is M94.01 (Chronic costochondritis, unspecified site).
Additionally, if the costochondritis is localized to a specific site, such as the sternoclavicular joint, the code to use would be M94.8 (Other specified disorders of cartilage), with a fifth digit of “8” (Other specified sites) and a sixth character indicating the specific site affected.
It is important to accurately code the diagnosis of costochondritis to ensure appropriate reimbursement for medical services and to help maintain accurate records of patient care.