2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code M25.60Stiffness of unspecified joint, not elsewhere classified
ICD-10-CM Codes›M00–M99›M20-M25›M25
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- Not Chronic
M25.60 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for stiffness of unspecified joint, not elsewhere classified. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 555 through 556. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Musculoskeletal pain, not low back pain.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Active range of joint movement reduced
- Decreased circumduction
- Decreased passive range of lumbar spine right lateral flexion
- Immobility stiffness
- Joint stiffness
- Joint stiffness of spine
- Lumbar spine stiff
- Morning stiffness - joint
- Multiple stiff joints
- Passive range of lumbar spine right lateral flexion - finding
- Range of lumbar spine right lateral flexion - finding
- Sacroiliac joint stiff
- Short stature, unique facies, enamel hypoplasia, progressive joint stiffness, high-pitched voice syndrome
- Stiff back
- Stiff legs
- Stiff limbs
- Temporomandibular joint stiff
- Thoracic spine stiff
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to M25.60: its own notes plus those printed at M25.6, M25, block M00-M25, block M20-M25, and Chapter 13. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.
Includes
Further defines, or gives examples of, the content of the category.
- Disorders affecting predominantly peripheral (limb) joints
Excludes1
Not coded here: the excluded code is never reported together with this one, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
Excludes2
Not included here: the excluded condition is not part of this code, but a patient may have both, so both codes may be reported.
- arthropathic psoriasis (L40.5-)
- certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
- certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
- compartment syndrome (traumatic) (T79.A-)
- complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
- congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
- endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
- injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
- neoplasms (C00-D49)
- symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)
Notes
General instructions on how these codes are used.
- Use an external cause code following the code for the musculoskeletal condition, if applicable, to identify the cause of the musculoskeletal condition
Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.
Referenced in Other NotesGuidance
Instructional notes printed at other codes that name M25.60, its category, or a range that includes it.
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.
Stiffness, joint NEC M25.60
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Patient EducationClinical
Joint Disorders
Your joints are places where two or more bones come together. Your shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, and knuckles are all joints. Your spine has joints, too.
The full article covers:
- What are joints?
- What are joint disorders?
- What diseases can affect the joints?
- What types of joint disorders happen from sudden injuries?
- What types of joint disorders happen from overuse?
- How can I keep my joints healthy?
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert M25.60 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About M25.60Overview
What is the ICD-10 code for stiffness of unspecified joint, not elsewhere classified?
The ICD-10-CM code for stiffness of unspecified joint, not elsewhere classified is M25.60 (sometimes written as M2560). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Is M25.60 (Stiffness of joint, not elsewhere classified) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report stiffness of unspecified joint, not elsewhere classified on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What MS-DRG does M25.60 group to?
When stiffness of unspecified joint, not elsewhere classified is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 555, 556, with relative weights from 0.8210 to 1.2908 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
Can M25.60 be reported with a code from M24.6?
Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note at M25.6, which applies to M25.60, lists "ankylosis of joint (M24.6-)". An Excludes1 note means the excluded code is never reported together with this one; the only exception is when the two conditions are unrelated to each other (Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).
What is the ICD-9 equivalent of M25.60?
Under the General Equivalence Mappings, stiffness of unspecified joint, not elsewhere classified converts to ICD-9-CM 719.50 (jt stiffness NEC-unspec). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.
