2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code S09.8XXAOther specified injuries of head, initial encounter
S09.8XXA is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for other specified injuries of head, initial encounter. The 7th character A marks it as an initial encounter code, used while the patient is receiving active treatment. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 913 through 914, 963 through 965. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Other specified injury.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Avulsion of cheek
- Avulsion of floor of mouth
- Avulsion of neck
- Avulsion of soft palate
- Avulsion of zygomatic region of cheek
- Degloving injury of head
- Degloving injury of head and neck
- Degloving injury of neck
- Foreign body in bone
- Foreign body in jaw bone
- Foreign body in lip
- Foreign body of musculoskeletal structure
- Glass in head and/or neck
- Headache due to external compression of head
- Injury of meniscus of temporomandibular joint
- Injury of salivary apparatus
- Injury of salivary duct
- Intracranial hemorrhage co-occurrent and due to complex wound of head
- Metal foreign body in cheek
- Metal foreign body in head
- Metal foreign body in head and/or neck
- Metal foreign body in lip
- Peripheral nerve injury of head and neck
- Transection of salivary duct
- Wood splinter in head
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 2026, published by CMS and the National Center for Health Statistics.
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
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.
Convert S09.8XXA to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About S09.8XXAOverview
Is S09.8XXA (Other specified injuries of head) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report other specified injuries of head, initial encounter on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
What does the 7th character A in S09.8XXA mean?
The final character A marks the initial encounter: use it while the patient is receiving active treatment for other specified injuries of head, such as an emergency visit or first evaluation.
What MS-DRG does S09.8XXA group to?
When other specified injuries of head, initial encounter is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 913, 914, 963, 964, 965, with relative weights from 0.8855 to 2.7338 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
What is the ICD-9 equivalent of S09.8XXA?
Under the General Equivalence Mappings, other specified injuries of head, initial encounter converts to ICD-9-CM 873.8 (open wound of head NEC), 873.9 (open wnd head NEC-compl), and 959.01 (head injury NOS). 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.
