2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code S29.9XXAUnspecified injury of thorax, initial encounter
S29.9XXA is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for unspecified injury of thorax, 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 unspecified injury.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Blunt injury
- Blunt injury of thorax
- Breast hematoma
- Central cord syndrome of thoracic spinal cord due to traumatic injury
- Chest injury
- Clavicle injury
- Costal cartilage injury
- Deceleration injury of thorax
- Injury of back of chest
- Injury of breast
- Injury of chest wall
- Injury of front of chest
- Injury of interscapular region
- Injury of left breast
- Injury of ribs
- Injury of right breast
- Injury of side of chest
- Injury of sternum
- Injury of thoracic cavity
- Internal injury of chest, abdomen and pelvis
- Multiple injuries of head and chest
- Multiple injuries of thorax
- Traumatic hematoma of breast
- Traumatic injury of chest wall
- Traumatic injury of posterior chest wall
Coding GuidelinesGuidance
The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from block Other and unspecified injuries of thorax (S29). 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
Chest Injuries and Disorders
The chest is the part of your body between your neck and your abdomen (belly). The medical term for your chest is thorax.
The full article covers:
- What is the chest?
- What are chest injuries and disorders?
- How are chest injuries and disorders diagnosed?
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert S29.9XXA to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About S29.9XXAOverview
Is S29.9XXA (Unspecified injury of thorax) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report unspecified injury of thorax, initial encounter on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
What does the 7th character A in S29.9XXA mean?
The final character A marks the initial encounter: use it while the patient is receiving active treatment for unspecified injury of thorax, such as an emergency visit or first evaluation.
What MS-DRG does S29.9XXA group to?
When unspecified injury of thorax, 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 S29.9XXA?
Under the General Equivalence Mappings, unspecified injury of thorax, initial encounter converts to ICD-9-CM 959.11 (injury of chest wall NEC). 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.
