2024 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code M46.41

Clinical Information

• Discitis

  inflammation of an intervertebral disc or disk space which may lead to disk erosion. until recently, discitis has been defined as a nonbacterial inflammation and has been attributed to aseptic processes (e.g., chemical reaction to an injected substance). however, recent studies provide evidence that infection may be the initial cause, but perhaps not the promoter, of most cases of discitis. discitis has been diagnosed in patients following discography, myelography, lumbar puncture, paravertebral injection, and obstetrical epidural anesthesia. discitis following chemonucleolysis (especially with chymopapain) is attributed to chemical reaction by some and to introduction of microorganisms by others.

• Intervertebral Disc

  any of the 23 plates of fibrocartilage found between the bodies of adjacent vertebrae.

M46.41 is grouped with Diagnostic Related Groups - MS-DRG Mapping

Diagnostic Related Groups (DRGs) are a classification system used to group together diagnosis codes for the purpose of reimbursement and healthcare management. DRGs are used to standardize the way hospitals and other providers are paid for inpatient services. In this system patients are grouped together based on their principal diagnosis in areas referred to as Major Diagnostic Categories (MDC). Once a patient is assigned a particular diagnostic category, providers receive a predetermined payment rate for the services rendered. This reimbursement rate is often fixed and is meant to cover the cost of care for that patient. Reimbursement is also affected by the relative weight of a diagnostic related group based on the severity of a patient's illness and the associated cost of care during hospitalization.

Diagnostic related groups encourage healthcare providers to focus on quality and efficiency in patient care while managing costs effectively. The diagnosis code is present in the following groups for version MS-DRG V41.0 applicable from 10/01/2023 through 09/30/2024.

The relative weight of a diagnostic related group determines the reimbursement rate based on the severity of a patient's illness and the associated cost of care during hospitalization.

Convert M46.41 to ICD-9-CM

• ICD-9-CM Code: 722.91 - Disc dis NEC/NOS-cerv
  Approximate Flag - The approximate mapping means there is not an exact match between the ICD-10 and ICD-9 codes and the mapped code is not a precise representation of the original code.

Patient Education

Neck Injuries and Disorders

Any part of your neck - muscles, bones, joints, tendons, ligaments, or nerves - can cause neck problems. Neck pain is very common. Pain may also come from your shoulder, jaw, head, or upper arms.

Muscle strain or tension often causes neck pain. The problem is usually overuse, such as from sitting at a computer for too long. Sometimes you can strain your neck muscles from sleeping in an awkward position or overdoing it during exercise. Falls or accidents, including car accidents, are another common cause of neck pain. Whiplash, a soft tissue injury to the neck, is also called neck sprain or strain.

Treatment depends on the cause, but may include applying ice, taking pain relievers, getting physical therapy or wearing a cervical collar. You rarely need surgery.

Code History

• FY 2024 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2023 through 9/30/2024
• FY 2023 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2022 through 9/30/2023
• FY 2022 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2021 through 9/30/2022
• FY 2021 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2020 through 9/30/2021
• FY 2020 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2019 through 9/30/2020
• FY 2019 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2018 through 9/30/2019
• FY 2018 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2017 through 9/30/2018
• FY 2017 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2016 through 9/30/2017
• FY 2016 - New Code, effective from 10/1/2015 through 9/30/2016. This was the first year ICD-10-CM was implemented into the HIPAA code set.