Wiki ICD-10 code for site specific arthritis - Primary osteoarthritis wrist

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FractalMind

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Hi!

It seems like ICD-10 make no distinction between Arthritis and Osteoarthritis....

The index for "Arthritis" lists only one unspecified code for arthritis: M19.90 (Unspec OA, unspc site-Arthrosis, Arthritis, OA NOS) which does not include site specific codes indentation.

On the other hand, when you index "Arthropathy" it directs you to "see also arthritis" but gives you code M12.9

So what would the code be for "L knee arthritis" for example?
 
Arthropathy is a term for disease of the joint where arthritis is specifically an inflammation of the joint, osteoarthritis is the same as arthritis as it is inflammation of the joints of the bones. If the provider does not state that the arthritis is primary(degenerative), secondary, or post-traumatic, the is some cases , like elbow, there s no code to choose as there is no unspecified type code for the elbow. The coder is not to default the type to primary, it must be documented.
However for knee there is an unspecified type choice so documented as arthritis L knee, you can only code M17.9 for unspecified type.
 
"Osteoarthritis is only one kind of arthritis. Arthritis is the broad name given to any inflammatory joint disease. Rheumatoid arthritis and some other forms of arthritis are not diseases as associated with aging, but rather auto-immune disorders, in which antibodies attack your cartilage, which is what triggers that inflammation and joint pain."http://www.sharecare.com/health/osteoarthritis/difference-between-arthritis-and-osteoarthritis

Whereas "Osteoarthritis" involves the bones, "Arthritis" does not. Unspecified arthritis should no be coded as Osteoarthritis unless documented as such.
 
Yes, but, it is well recognized that arthritis and osteoarthritis are interchangeable terms.
Baptist Health South Florida:
arthritis and osteoarthritis are the same thing, arthritis can refer to other types of this condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis
Clinical Information osteoarthritis of the knee:
Noninflammatory degenerative disease of the knee joint consisting of three large categories: conditions that block normal synchronous movement, conditions that produce abnormal pathways of motion, and conditions that cause stress concentration resulting in changes to articular cartilage. (Crenshaw, Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics, 8th ed, p2019)
Description Synonyms
Arthritis of left knee
Arthritis of right knee
Arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are not interchangeable terms. As the rheumatoid indicates a specific form of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is not a specific form but it does need to be specified as to primary secondary or postraumatic. Primary osteoarthritis is the same as a degenerative condition due to age.
 
Last edited:
Thanks Debra,

So since you're saying that Arthritis and Osteoarthritis are interchangeable terms, when the provider documents "Knee/Hip/Wrist/Foot Arthritis" we can indistincly look it up as "knee/Hip/Wrist or Foot Osteoarthritis under the ICD-10 index?

Do you have an official source to refer to?
 
Yes.. When you look up a arthritis in the alpha, the term arthritis has the M19.90 listed as a default code for when the only term documented is arthritis. If you look at that code the complete description is :
Unspecified osteoarthritis, unspecified site
If you want to fine tune this from the alpha under the term arthritis you will find the specific site choices. The section in the code book M15-19 are all osteoarthritis codes which are located by using either the term arthritis or osteoarthritis.
The M19.90 does not have the specific site codes indented under it because the are located as separate categories above it and need to be documented as whether it is primary, secondary or post traumatic. There are only a few sites that can be code as unspecified type such as M17.9 for knee but not all like elbow must be specified for type, but all may be documented as either arthritis or osteoarthritis. And may be searchable either way. I am unsure as to what more you require,
 
knee arthritis/osteoarthritis

choder said:
Thanks Debra,

So since you're saying that Arthritis and Osteoarthritis are interchangeable terms, when the provider documents "Knee/Hip/Wrist/Foot Arthritis" we can indistincly look it up as "knee/Hip/Wrist or Foot Osteoarthritis under the ICD-10 index?

Do you have an official source to refer to?
Click to expand...

According to this link http://health-information.advancewe...-Extras/Practical-Skill-Building-Quiz-13.aspx the code for bilateral knee osteoarthritis is M17.0, found by looking up main term osteoarthritis, subterm knee bilateral, which is verified in the tabular list as bilateral primary osteoarthritis of knee. M19.90 does show as including arthrosis NOS, arthritis NOS and osteoarthritis NOS in the tabular, but this is different from ICD-9.
 
Osteoarthritis

Hi,
I only have 8 months experience working for an orthopedic coder. Some of my docs document osteoarthritis in their assessment, yet some only document arthritis (ex. primary arthritis of the right knee vs. primary osteoarthritis of the right knee). In the ICD10 index, under "Arthritis" there are subheadings such as "atrophic", "degenerative", and "meaning osteoarthritis" that direct you to osteoarthritis. If one of my docs uses the general term arthritis,I review the chart for the x-ray or any documentation showing there is degeneration of bone/cartilage. If there is documentation to support osteoarthritis, I will assign the osteoarthritis code instead of the generalized arthritis code. Is this correct? I thought this logic would be ok because if the doctor specifies a bacterial infection but doesn't specify the type of bacteria,then I look for the lab and find the correct bacteria and code it accordingly instead of using an unspecified bacteria code.
 
choder said:
Hi!

It seems like ICD-10 make no distinction between Arthritis and Osteoarthritis....

The index for "Arthritis" lists only one unspecified code for arthritis: M19.90 (Unspec OA, unspc site-Arthrosis, Arthritis, OA NOS) which does not include site specific codes indentation.

On the other hand, when you index "Arthropathy" it directs you to "see also arthritis" but gives you code M12.9

So what would the code be for "L knee arthritis" for example?
Click to expand...


The index is your best friend when it comes to situations such as this. While some osteoarthritis codes require the doctor to specify Primary Secondary, or Post-traumatic, other codes do not necessarily require it. If the doctor documents Osteoarthritis of Right knee, then yes, the doctor is required to specify Primary etc.

As well, if the doctor does not specify "Rheumatoid", then Arthritis is Osteoarthritis. Athro = joints, and joints join bones (Osteo).

I hope this helps.
 
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