2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code M65.022Abscess of tendon sheath, left upper arm

ICD-10-CM Codes›M00–M99›M65-M67›M65

ICD-10-CM M65.022
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

M65.022 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for abscess of tendon sheath, left upper arm. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 557 through 558. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Musculoskeletal abscess and Tendon and synovial disorders.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
M65.022
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Abscess of tendon sheath, left upper arm
Short Description
Abscess of tendon sheath, left upper arm
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
Abscess of tendon sheath, upper arm

Code Classification

ChapterM00–M99Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue
SectionM65-M67Disorders of synovium and tendon
CategoryM65Synovitis and tenosynovitis
This CodeM65.022Abscess of tendon sheath, left upper arm

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to M65.022: its own notes plus those printed at M65.0, M65, and Chapter 13. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.

Excludes1

Not coded here: the excluded code is never reported together with this one, unless the two conditions are unrelated.

From M65 Synovitis and tenosynovitis applies to 133 codes
  • chronic crepitant synovitis of hand and wrist (M70.0-)
  • current injury - see injury of ligament or tendon by body region
  • soft tissue disorders related to use, overuse and pressure (M70.-)

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.

From Chapter 13 (M00-M99) Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue applies to 6,687 codes
  • 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)

Use Additional Code

Add a second code, after this one, to fully describe the condition.

From M65.0 Abscess of tendon sheath applies to 23 codes
  • code (B95-B96) to identify bacterial agent.

Notes

General instructions on how these codes are used.

From Chapter 13 (M00-M99) Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue applies to 6,687 codes
  • 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.

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR MUS027
Musculoskeletal abscess
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes
CCSR MUS009
Tendon and synovial disorders
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient No · outpatient No

Patient EducationClinical

Abscess

An abscess is a pocket of pus. You can get an abscess almost anywhere in your body. When an area of your body becomes infected, your body's immune system tries to fight the infection. White blood cells go to the infected area, collect within the damaged tissue, and cause inflammation. During this process, pus forms.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert M65.022 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
727.89 Synov/tend/bursa dis NEC
Approximate The match is approximate rather than exact.

Code HistoryHistory

FY 2016AddedAdded to the ICD-10-CM code setEffective October 1, 2015, the first year of ICD-10-CM.
FY 2017–2026No changes
FY 2027CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Questions About M65.022Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for abscess of tendon sheath, left upper arm?

The ICD-10-CM code for abscess of tendon sheath, left upper arm is M65.022 (sometimes written as M65022). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Is M65.022 (Abscess of tendon sheath, upper arm) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report abscess of tendon sheath, left upper arm on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

What MS-DRG does M65.022 group to?

When abscess of tendon sheath, left upper arm is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 557, 558, with relative weights from 0.8873 to 1.4883 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

Can M65.022 be reported with a code from M70.0?

Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note at M65, which applies to M65.022, lists "chronic crepitant synovitis of hand and wrist (M70.0-)". 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).

Does M65.022 need an additional code?

When the condition applies, yes. The Use Additional Code note at M65.0, which applies to M65.022, reads: code (B95-B96) to identify bacterial agent.. The additional code is reported after M65.022.