2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code S24.109DUnspecified injury at unspecified level of thoracic spinal cord, subsequent encounter
S24.109D is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for unspecified injury at unspecified level of thoracic spinal cord, subsequent encounter. The 7th character D marks it as a subsequent encounter code, used during routine care in the healing or recovery phase. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 949 through 950. The code is exempt from POA reporting. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Spinal cord injury (SCI), subsequent encounter.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Present on Admission (POA)Billing
S24.109D is exempt from POA reporting on inpatient claims to general acute care hospitals. Review other POA exempt codes.
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Central cord syndrome of thoracic spinal cord due to injury of spinal cord at T7 - T12 level
- Central cord syndrome of thoracic spinal cord due to traumatic injury
- Closed fracture of T1-T6 level with spinal cord injury
- Closed fracture of thoracic region with spinal cord injury
- Fracture of thoracic spine with cord lesion
- Injury of nerves and spinal cord at thorax level
- Injury of peripheral nerve of thorax
- Injury of thoracic spinal cord
- Injury of thoracic spine
- Laceration of spinal cord
- Laceration of thoracic spinal cord
- Lesion of thoracic spinal cord due to closed dislocation of joint of thoracic spine
- Lesion of thoracic spinal cord due to open dislocation of joint of thoracic spine
- Lesion of thoracic spinal cord due to subluxation of joint of thoracic spine
- Open dislocation thoracic spine
- Open fracture of T7-T12 level with spinal cord injury
- Open fracture of thoracic spine with spinal cord injury
- Thoracic cord injury without spinal bone injury
- Thoracic spinal cord lesion due to thoracic spinal dislocation
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 S24.109D to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About S24.109DOverview
Is S24.109D a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report unspecified injury at unspecified level of thoracic spinal cord, subsequent encounter on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
What does the 7th character D in S24.109D mean?
The final character D marks a subsequent encounter: use it for routine care while the unspecified injury at unspecified level of thoracic spinal cord is healing, after active treatment has ended.
What MS-DRG does S24.109D group to?
When unspecified injury at unspecified level of thoracic spinal cord, subsequent encounter is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 949, 950, with relative weights from 0.6277 to 1.1897 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
Is S24.109D exempt from POA reporting?
Yes. CMS lists this code among those exempt from present on admission reporting, so hospitals do not assign a POA indicator for unspecified injury at unspecified level of thoracic spinal cord, subsequent encounter on inpatient claims.
What is the ICD-9 equivalent of S24.109D?
Under the General Equivalence Mappings, unspecified injury at unspecified level of thoracic spinal cord, subsequent encounter converts to ICD-9-CM V58.89 (other specfied aftercare). 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.
