2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code S09Other and unspecified injuries of head

ICD-10-CM Codes›S00–T88›S00-S09›S09

ICD-10-CM S09
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

S09 is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code for other and unspecified injuries of head, so it cannot be submitted on claims. Use a more specific code from this category instead, such as S09.0XXA, S09.0XXD, S09.0XXS, and S09.10XA.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
S09
Billable Status
No — Non-Billable Category
Code Describes
Other and unspecified injuries of head
Short Description
Other and unspecified injuries of head
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Chapter
S00-S09
Injuries to the head

Code Classification

ChapterS00–T88Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes
SectionS00-S09Injuries to the head
CategoryS09Other and unspecified injuries of head
This CodeS09Other and unspecified injuries of head

Specific Coding for Other and unspecified injuries of headOverview

Non-specific codes like S09 require more characters. Use one of these billable codes instead:

  • S09.0 for Injury of blood vessels of head, not elsewhere classified

  • S09.1 for Injury of muscle and tendon of head

  • S09.10 for Unspecified injury of muscle and tendon of head

  • S09.11 for Strain of muscle and tendon of head

  • S09.12 for Laceration of muscle and tendon of head

  • S09.19 for Other specified injury of muscle and tendon of head

  • S09.2 for Traumatic rupture of ear drum

  • S09.20 for Traumatic rupture of unspecified ear drum

  • S09.21 for Traumatic rupture of right ear drum

  • S09.22 for Traumatic rupture of left ear drum

  • S09.3 for Other specified and unspecified injury of middle and inner ear

  • S09.30 for Unspecified injury of middle and inner ear

  • S09.31 for Primary blast injury of ear

  • S09.39 for Other specified injury of middle and inner ear

  • S09.8 for Other specified injuries of head

  • S09.9 for Unspecified injury of face and head

  • S09.90 for Unspecified injury of head

  • S09.91 for Unspecified injury of ear

  • S09.92 for Unspecified injury of nose

  • S09.93 for Unspecified injury of face

Coding GuidelinesGuidance

The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from block Other and unspecified injuries of head (S09). Use the following options for the applicable episode of care:

  • A - initial encounter
  • D - subsequent encounter
  • S - sequela

Source: ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, FY 2027, published by CMS and the National Center for Health Statistics.

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to S09: its own notes plus those printed at block S00-S09 and Chapter 19. 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.

From Block S00-S09 Injuries to the head applies to 1,934 codes
  • injuries of ear
  • injuries of eye
  • injuries of face [any part]
  • injuries of gum
  • injuries of jaw
  • injuries of oral cavity
  • injuries of palate
  • injuries of periocular area
  • injuries of scalp
  • injuries of temporomandibular joint area
  • injuries of tongue
  • injuries of tooth

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 Block S00-S09 Injuries to the head applies to 1,934 codes
  • burns and corrosions (T20-T32)
  • effects of foreign body in ear (T16)
  • effects of foreign body in larynx (T17.3)
  • effects of foreign body in mouth NOS (T18.0)
  • effects of foreign body in nose (T17.0-T17.1)
  • effects of foreign body in pharynx (T17.2)
  • effects of foreign body on external eye (T15.-)
  • frostbite (T33-T34)
  • insect bite or sting, venomous (T63.4)
From Chapter 19 (S00-T88) Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes applies to 41,187 codes

Use Additional Code

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

From Chapter 19 (S00-T88) Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes applies to 41,187 codes
  • code to identify any retained foreign body, if applicable (Z18.-)

Code Also

A second code may be needed to fully describe the condition; the note gives no sequencing direction.

From Block S00-S09 Injuries to the head applies to 1,934 codes
  • for any associated infection

Notes

General instructions on how these codes are used.

From Chapter 19 (S00-T88) Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes applies to 41,187 codes
  • Use secondary code(s) from Chapter 20, External causes of morbidity, to indicate cause of injury. Codes within the T section that include the external cause do not require an additional external cause code
  • The chapter uses the S-section for coding different types of injuries related to single body regions and the T-section to cover injuries to unspecified body regions as well as poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes.

7th Character

Every code in the category takes a 7th character from the listed values, with the placeholder X filling any empty positions before it.

  • The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S09
Values for category S09 Encounter: Initial, Subsequent, Sequela
  • Ainitial encounter
  • Dsubsequent encounter
  • Ssequela

Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.

Patient EducationClinical

Head Injuries

Chances are you've bumped your head before. Often, the injury is minor because your skull is hard and it protects your brain. But other head injuries can be more severe, such as a skull fracture, concussion, or traumatic brain injury.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

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 S09Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for other and unspecified injuries of head?

S09 is the ICD-10-CM category for other and unspecified injuries of head, but it is a non-billable header: claims need a more specific code from this category, listed on this page.

Is S09 (Other and unspecified injuries of head) a billable code?

No. This is a category header that groups the codes for other and unspecified injuries of head, and headers cannot be submitted on claims. Claims for other and unspecified injuries of head need a more specific code from this category, such as S09.0XXA, S09.0XXD, and S09.0XXS.