2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code M00.029Staphylococcal arthritis, unspecified elbow

ICD-10-CM Codes›M00–M99›M00-M02›M00

ICD-10-CM M00.029
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

M00.029 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for staphylococcal arthritis, unspecified elbow. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 548 through 550. The code is flagged as an unspecified code, since codes identifying laterality exist in the same family. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Bacterial infections and Infective arthritis.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
M00.029
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Staphylococcal arthritis, unspecified elbow
Short Description
Staphylococcal arthritis, unspecified elbow
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
M00.02
Staphylococcal arthritis, elbow

Code Classification

ChapterM00–M99Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue
SectionM00-M02Infectious arthropathies
CategoryM00Pyogenic arthritis
This CodeM00.029Staphylococcal arthritis, unspecified elbow

Code EditsBilling

Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for M00.029.

Unspecified codes
Unspecified codes exist in the ICD-10-CM classification for circumstances when documentation in the medical record does not provide the level of detail needed to support reporting a more specific code. However, in the inpatient setting, there should generally be very limited and rare circumstances for which the laterality (right, left, bilateral) of a condition is unable to be documented and reported. The following pages contain the list of unspecified ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes for which there is a more specific code to identify laterality (right, left, bilateral) within that code family.

Clinical ClassificationClinical

AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.

CCSR INF003
Bacterial infections
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient No · outpatient No
CCSR MUS001
Infective arthritis
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Patient EducationClinical

Infectious Arthritis

Most kinds of arthritis cause pain and swelling in your joints. Joints are places where two bones meet, such as your elbow or knee. Infectious arthritis is an infection in the joint. The infection comes from a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection that spreads from another part of the body. Symptoms of infectious arthritis include:

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Convert M00.029 to ICD-9-CMHistory

The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.

ICD-9-CM
711.02 Pyogen arthritis-up/arm
Approximate The match is approximate rather than exact.
ICD-9-CM
711.02 Pyogen arthritis-up/arm
ApproximateCombination The match is approximate, and more than one code can be needed to describe the source diagnosis. Confirm with contextual judgment.
ICD-9-CM
041.10 Staphylococcus unspcfied
ApproximateCombination The match is approximate, and more than one code can be needed to describe the source diagnosis. Confirm with contextual judgment.

Code HistoryHistory

FY 2016AddedAdded to the ICD-10-CM code setEffective October 1, 2015, the first year of ICD-10-CM.
FY 2017–2025No changes
FY 2026CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Questions About M00.029Overview

Is M00.029 (Staphylococcal arthritis, elbow) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report staphylococcal arthritis, unspecified elbow on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

What MS-DRG does M00.029 group to?

When staphylococcal arthritis, unspecified elbow is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 548, 549, 550, with relative weights from 0.8741 to 1.9309 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of M00.029?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, staphylococcal arthritis, unspecified elbow converts to ICD-9-CM 711.02 (pyogen arthritis-up/arm), 711.02 (pyogen arthritis-up/arm), and 041.10 (Staphylococcus unspcfied). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.

Footnotes

[1] Not chronic - A diagnosis code that does not fit the criteria for chronic condition (duration, ongoing medical treatment, and limitations) is considered not chronic. Some codes designated as not chronic are acute conditions. Other diagnosis codes that indicate a possible chronic condition, but for which the duration of the illness is not specified in the code description (i.e., we do not know the condition has lasted 12 months or longer) also are considered not chronic.