2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code S50Superficial injury of elbow and forearm

ICD-10-CM Codes›S00–T88›S50-S59›S50

ICD-10-CM S50
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

S50 is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code for superficial injury of elbow and forearm, so it cannot be submitted on claims. Use a more specific code from this category instead, such as S50.00XA, S50.00XD, S50.00XS, and S50.01XA.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
S50
Billable Status
No — Non-Billable Category
Code Describes
Superficial injury of elbow and forearm
Short Description
Superficial injury of elbow and forearm
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Chapter
S50-S59
Injuries to the elbow and forearm

Code Classification

ChapterS00–T88Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes
SectionS50-S59Injuries to the elbow and forearm
CategoryS50Superficial injury of elbow and forearm
This CodeS50Superficial injury of elbow and forearm

Specific Coding for Superficial injury of elbow and forearmOverview

Non-specific codes like S50 require more characters. Use one of these billable codes instead:

  • S50.0 for Contusion of elbow

  • S50.00 for Contusion of unspecified elbow

  • S50.01 for Contusion of right elbow

  • S50.02 for Contusion of left elbow

  • S50.1 for Contusion of forearm

  • S50.10 for Contusion of unspecified forearm

  • S50.11 for Contusion of right forearm

  • S50.12 for Contusion of left forearm

  • S50.3 for Other superficial injuries of elbow

  • S50.31 for Abrasion of elbow

  • S50.32 for Blister (nonthermal) of elbow

  • S50.34 for External constriction of elbow

  • S50.35 for Superficial foreign body of elbow

  • S50.36 for Insect bite (nonvenomous) of elbow

  • S50.37 for Other superficial bite of elbow

  • S50.8 for Other superficial injuries of forearm

  • S50.81 for Abrasion of forearm

  • S50.82 for Blister (nonthermal) of forearm

  • S50.84 for External constriction of forearm

  • S50.85 for Superficial foreign body of forearm

  • S50.86 for Insect bite (nonvenomous) of forearm

  • S50.87 for Other superficial bite of forearm

  • S50.9 for Unspecified superficial injury of elbow and forearm

  • S50.90 for Unspecified superficial injury of elbow

  • S50.91 for Unspecified superficial injury of forearm

Coding GuidelinesGuidance

The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from block Superficial injury of elbow and forearm (S50). 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 S50: its own notes plus those printed at block S50-S59 and Chapter 19. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.

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.

On S50 itself
  • superficial injury of wrist and hand (S60.-)
From Block S50-S59 Injuries to the elbow and forearm applies to 4,362 codes
  • burns and corrosions (T20-T32)
  • frostbite (T33-T34)
  • injuries of wrist and hand (S60-S69)
  • insect bite or sting, venomous (T63.4)
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 S50
Values for category S50 Encounter: Initial, Subsequent, Sequela
  • Ainitial encounter
  • Dsubsequent encounter
  • Ssequela

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

Patient EducationClinical

Arm Injuries and Disorders

Of the 206 bones in your body, three of them are in your arm: the humerus, radius, and ulna. Your arms are also made up of muscles, joints, tendons, and other connective tissue. Injuries to any of these parts of the arm can occur during sports, a fall, or an accident.

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 S50Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for superficial injury of elbow and forearm?

S50 is the ICD-10-CM category for superficial injury of elbow and forearm, but it is a non-billable header: claims need a more specific code from this category, listed on this page.

Is S50 (Superficial injury of elbow and forearm) a billable code?

No. This is a category header that groups the codes for superficial injury of elbow and forearm, and headers cannot be submitted on claims. Claims for superficial injury of elbow and forearm need a more specific code from this category, such as S50.00XA, S50.00XD, and S50.00XS.