2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code S49Other and unspecified injuries of shoulder and upper arm

ICD-10-CM Codes›S00–T88›S40-S49›S49

ICD-10-CM S49
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

S49 is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code for other and unspecified injuries of shoulder and upper arm, so it cannot be submitted on claims. Use a more specific code from this category instead, such as S49.001A, S49.001D, S49.001G, and S49.001K.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
S49
Billable Status
No — Non-Billable Category
Code Describes
Other and unspecified injuries of shoulder and upper arm
Short Description
Other and unspecified injuries 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
CategoryS49Other and unspecified injuries of shoulder and upper arm
This CodeS49Other and unspecified injuries of shoulder and upper arm

Specific Coding for Other and unspecified injuries of shoulder and upper armOverview

Non-specific codes like S49 require more characters. Use one of these billable codes instead:

  • S49.0 for Physeal fracture of upper end of humerus

  • S49.00 for Unspecified physeal fracture of upper end of humerus

  • S49.01 for Salter-Harris Type I physeal fracture of upper end of humerus

  • S49.02 for Salter-Harris Type II physeal fracture of upper end of humerus

  • S49.03 for Salter-Harris Type III physeal fracture of upper end of humerus

  • S49.04 for Salter-Harris Type IV physeal fracture of upper end of humerus

  • S49.09 for Other physeal fracture of upper end of humerus

  • S49.1 for Physeal fracture of lower end of humerus

  • S49.10 for Unspecified physeal fracture of lower end of humerus

  • S49.11 for Salter-Harris Type I physeal fracture of lower end of humerus

  • S49.12 for Salter-Harris Type II physeal fracture of lower end of humerus

  • S49.13 for Salter-Harris Type III physeal fracture of lower end of humerus

  • S49.14 for Salter-Harris Type IV physeal fracture of lower end of humerus

  • S49.19 for Other physeal fracture of lower end of humerus

  • S49.8 for Other specified injuries of shoulder and upper arm

  • S49.80 for Other specified injuries of shoulder and upper arm, unspecified arm

  • S49.81 for Other specified injuries of right shoulder and upper arm

  • S49.82 for Other specified injuries of left shoulder and upper arm

  • S49.9 for Unspecified injury of shoulder and upper arm

  • S49.90 for Unspecified injury of shoulder and upper arm, unspecified arm

  • S49.91 for Unspecified injury of right shoulder and upper arm

  • S49.92 for Unspecified injury of left shoulder and upper arm

Coding GuidelinesGuidance

The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from block Other and unspecified injuries of shoulder and upper arm (S49). 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 S49: 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 subcategories S49.0 and S49.1
Values for category S49 Closed Fracture Encounter
  • Ainitial encounter for closed fracture
  • Dsubsequent encounter for fracture with routine healing
  • Gsubsequent encounter for fracture with delayed healing
  • Ksubsequent encounter for fracture with nonunion
  • Psubsequent encounter for fracture with malunion
  • Ssequela

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

Patient EducationClinical

Shoulder Injuries and Disorders

Your shoulder joint is composed of three bones: the clavicle (collarbone), the scapula (shoulder blade), and the humerus (upper arm bone). Your shoulders are the most movable joints in your body. They can also be unstable because the ball of the upper arm is larger than the shoulder socket that holds it.

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 S49Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for other and unspecified injuries of shoulder and upper arm?

S49 is the ICD-10-CM category for other and unspecified injuries 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 S49 (Other and unspecified injuries of shoulder and upper arm) a billable code?

No. This is a category header that groups the codes for other and unspecified injuries of shoulder and upper arm, and headers cannot be submitted on claims. Claims for other and unspecified injuries of shoulder and upper arm need a more specific code from this category, such as S49.001A, S49.001D, and S49.001G.