2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code S40Superficial injury of shoulder and upper arm

ICD-10-CM Codes›S00–T88›S40-S49›S40

ICD-10-CM S40
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

S40 is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code for superficial injury of shoulder and upper arm, so it cannot be submitted on claims. Use a more specific code from this category instead, such as S40.011A, S40.011D, S40.011S, and S40.012A.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
S40
Billable Status
No — Non-Billable Category
Code Describes
Superficial injury of shoulder and upper arm
Short Description
Superficial injury of shoulder and upper arm
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Chapter
S40-S49
Injuries to the shoulder and upper arm

Code Classification

ChapterS00–T88Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes
SectionS40-S49Injuries to the shoulder and upper arm
CategoryS40Superficial injury of shoulder and upper arm
This CodeS40Superficial injury of shoulder and upper arm

Specific Coding for Superficial injury of shoulder and upper armOverview

Non-specific codes like S40 require more characters. Use one of these billable codes instead:

  • S40.0 for Contusion of shoulder and upper arm

  • S40.01 for Contusion of shoulder

  • S40.02 for Contusion of upper arm

  • S40.2 for Other superficial injuries of shoulder

  • S40.21 for Abrasion of shoulder

  • S40.22 for Blister (nonthermal) of shoulder

  • S40.24 for External constriction of shoulder

  • S40.25 for Superficial foreign body of shoulder

  • S40.26 for Insect bite (nonvenomous) of shoulder

  • S40.27 for Other superficial bite of shoulder

  • S40.8 for Other superficial injuries of upper arm

  • S40.81 for Abrasion of upper arm

  • S40.82 for Blister (nonthermal) of upper arm

  • S40.84 for External constriction of upper arm

  • S40.85 for Superficial foreign body of upper arm

  • S40.86 for Insect bite (nonvenomous) of upper arm

  • S40.87 for Other superficial bite of upper arm

  • S40.9 for Unspecified superficial injury of shoulder and upper arm

  • S40.91 for Unspecified superficial injury of shoulder

  • S40.92 for Unspecified superficial injury of upper arm

Coding GuidelinesGuidance

The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from block Superficial injury of shoulder and upper arm (S40). 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 S40: its own notes plus those printed at block S40-S49 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 S40-S49 Injuries to the shoulder and upper arm applies to 2,730 codes
  • injuries of axilla
  • injuries of scapular region

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 S40-S49 Injuries to the shoulder and upper arm applies to 2,730 codes
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.-)

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 S40
Values for category S40 Encounter: Initial, Subsequent, Sequela
  • Ainitial encounter
  • Dsubsequent encounter
  • Ssequela

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

Patient EducationClinical

Wounds and Injuries

An injury is damage to your body. It is a general term that refers to harm caused by accidents, falls, hits, weapons, and more. In the U.S., millions of people injure themselves every year. These injuries range from minor to life-threatening.

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 S40Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for superficial injury of shoulder and upper arm?

S40 is the ICD-10-CM category for superficial injury of shoulder and upper arm, but it is a non-billable header: claims need a more specific code from this category, listed on this page.

Is S40 (Superficial injury of shoulder and upper arm) a billable code?

No. This is a category header that groups the codes for superficial injury of shoulder and upper arm, and headers cannot be submitted on claims. Claims for superficial injury of shoulder and upper arm need a more specific code from this category, such as S40.011A, S40.011D, and S40.011S.