S54.91 - Injury of unspecified nerve at forearm level, right arm

Version 2023
ICD-10:S54.91
Short Description:Injury of unspecified nerve at forearm level, right arm
Long Description:Injury of unspecified nerve at forearm level, right arm
Status: Not Valid for Submission
Version:ICD-10-CM 2023
Code Classification:
  • Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00–T98)
    • Injuries to the elbow and forearm (S50-S59)
      • Injury of nerves at forearm level (S54)

S54.91 is a non-specific and non-billable ICD-10 code code, consider using a code with a higher level of specificity for a diagnosis of injury of unspecified nerve at forearm level, right arm. The code is not specific and is NOT valid for the year 2023 for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions. Category or Header define the heading of a category of codes that may be further subdivided by the use of 4th, 5th, 6th or 7th characters.

Unspecified diagnosis codes like S54.91 are acceptable when clinical information is unknown or not available about a particular condition. Although a more specific code is preferable, unspecified codes should be used when such codes most accurately reflect what is known about a patient's condition. Specific diagnosis codes should not be used if not supported by the patient's medical record.

Coding Guidelines

The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from block Injury of nerves at forearm level (S54). Use the following options for the aplicable episode of care:

Specific Coding for Injury of unspecified nerve at forearm level, right arm

Non-specific codes like S54.91 require more digits to indicate the appropriate level of specificity. Consider using any of the following ICD-10 codes with a higher level of specificity when coding for injury of unspecified nerve at forearm level, right arm:

  • BILLABLE CODE - Use S54.91XA for initial encounter
  • BILLABLE CODE - Use S54.91XD for subsequent encounter
  • BILLABLE CODE - Use S54.91XS for sequela

Patient Education


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.

Types of arm injuries include :

You may also have problems or injure specific parts of your arm, such as your hand, wrist, elbow, or shoulder.


[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Peripheral Nerve Disorders

Your peripheral nerves are the ones outside your brain and spinal cord. Like static on a telephone line, peripheral nerve disorders distort or interrupt the messages between the brain and the rest of the body.

There are more than 100 kinds of peripheral nerve disorders. They can affect one nerve or many nerves. Some are the result of other diseases, like diabetic nerve problems. Others, like Guillain-Barre syndrome, happen after a virus infection. Still others are from nerve compression, like carpal tunnel syndrome or thoracic outlet syndrome. In some cases, like complex regional pain syndrome and brachial plexus injuries, the problem begins after an injury. Some people are born with peripheral nerve disorders.

Symptoms often start gradually, and then get worse. They include :

Treatment aims to treat any underlying problem, reduce pain and control symptoms.

NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke


[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Code History