2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code S24.104AUnspecified injury at T11-T12 level of thoracic spinal cord, initial encounter
S24.104A is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for unspecified injury at T11-T12 level of thoracic spinal cord, 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 963 through 965. Coders also document this condition as closed fracture of T7-T12 level with spinal cord injury. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Spinal cord injury (SCI), initial encounter.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Closed fracture of T7-T12 level with spinal cord injury
- Closed fracture of thoracic region with spinal cord injury
- Injury at T7-T12 level with spinal cord injury AND without bone injury
- Traumatic injury of spinal cord at T7-T12 level
Coding GuidelinesGuidance
The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from block Injury of nerves and spinal cord at thorax level (S24). 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
Spinal Cord Injuries
Your spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that runs down the middle of your back. It carries signals back and forth between your body and your brain. A spinal cord injury disrupts the signals. Spinal cord injuries usually begin with a blow that fractures (breaks) or dislocates your vertebrae, the bone disks that make up your spine.
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert S24.104A to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About S24.104AOverview
Is S24.104A (Unspecified injury at T11-T12 level of thoracic spinal cord) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report unspecified injury at T11-T12 level of thoracic spinal cord, initial encounter on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
What does the 7th character A in S24.104A mean?
The final character A marks the initial encounter: use it while the patient is receiving active treatment for unspecified injury at T11-T12 level of thoracic spinal cord, such as an emergency visit or first evaluation.
What MS-DRG does S24.104A group to?
When unspecified injury at T11-T12 level of thoracic spinal cord, initial encounter is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 963, 964, 965, with relative weights from 0.9405 to 2.7338 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
What is the ICD-9 equivalent of S24.104A?
Under the General Equivalence Mappings, unspecified injury at T11-T12 level of thoracic spinal cord, initial encounter converts to ICD-9-CM 952.15 (T7-t12 spin cord inj 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.
