Internal Medicine Coding Alert
Reader Questions:
Don't Sweat the Sports Lingo ICD-9 Coding
Published on Wed Apr 27, 2005 
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Question: Is there a difference between golfer's and tennis elbow? Answer: Yes, you should use two separate diagnosis codes for both conditions. The more common diagnosis code is 726.32.
West Virginia Subscriber
Depending on the region of the elbow that the golfer's elbow affects, you should report either 726.31 (Enthesopathy of elbow region; medial epicondylitis) or 726.32 (Enthesopathy of elbow region; lateral epicondylitis).
Tennis elbow affects the lateral epicondylitis, while in golfer's elbow the medial epicondylitis or the lateral epicondylitis may be the trouble spot. Check with your physician before settling on a code.
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