Injuries to the elbow and forearm (S50-S59) ICD-10-CM
The S50–S59 section covers injuries to the elbow and forearm with 5,237 ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes, of which 4,362 are billable in fiscal year 2026. The section is organized into the 10 code ranges listed below.
Type 2 Excludes
A type 2 excludes note represents "Not included here". An excludes2 note indicates that the condition excluded is not part of the condition represented by the code, but a patient may have both conditions at the same time. When an Excludes2 note appears under a code, it is acceptable to use both the code and the excluded code together, when appropriate.
Code Ranges in This Section 10 ranges · 5,237 codes
The info icon previews the code ranges inside each row and its instructional notations from the official Tabular List.
About the S50–S59 Code Range
ICD-10-CM codes S50-S59 are used to classify a wide range of injuries to the elbow and forearm, including superficial wounds, fractures, dislocations, sprains, strains, and traumatic amputations. These codes provide detailed distinctions based on the specific location (right, left, or unspecified side) and the nature and severity of the injury, from contusions and abrasions to complex fractures and ligament ruptures.
This range covers conditions such as contusions ("hematoma of elbow region" and "contusion of elbow" are indexed under S50.00XA-S50.02XS), abrasions, blisters, and foreign body injuries of the elbow and forearm. More complex injuries include fractures classified by bone (ulna or radius), anatomical part (e.g., upper end, shaft, olecranon process), fracture type (e.g., greenstick, transverse, oblique, spiral, comminuted, segmental), and healing status (initial, subsequent encounter, sequela), as detailed extensively from S52.0-S52.9. Special fracture types like Colles', Smith's, Galeazzi's, and Barton's fractures are distinctly coded to aid precise documentation. Dislocations and sprains of elbow joints and ligaments — including the radial head and ulnohumeral joint — are classified with attention to directionality (anterior, posterior, medial, lateral) and coding for sequela or encounter status (S53). Injuries to nerves (ulnar, median, radial) and blood vessels (ulnar, radial arteries and veins) at the forearm level are captured under S54-S55, with detailed distinctions for laterality and injury specifics such as lacerations or ruptures. The codes for injuries to muscles, fascia, and tendons of the forearm (S56) specify the injured structure (flexor, extensor, abductor muscles), affected digits, and the status of the injury, including strain, laceration, or other injury, with initial or subsequent encounter. Traumatic amputations at the elbow and forearm levels are found in S58, distinguishing complete or partial amputations and side specificity. Finally, S59 includes other and unspecified injuries to these regions, including physeal fractures and unspecified injuries with include detailed encounter and laterality subcodes. This comprehensive categorization lets healthcare coders accurately identify and code specific elbow and forearm injuries by site, type, and encounter phase, improving clinical clarity and reporting precision.
Questions About This Page
How many codes are in the S50-S59 range?
The S50-S59 range contains 5,237 ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes in FY 2026. 4,362 of them are billable, and the rest are category headers that organize the section.
What conditions does S50-S59 cover?
The range covers injuries to the elbow and forearm. The code ranges listed above break it into groups of related conditions, and each one links to its own page with the full code list.
Related References
Source: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM Tabular List and order file, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
