Other dorsopathies (M50-M54) ICD-10-CM
The M50–M54 section covers other dorsopathies with 167 ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes, of which 133 are billable in fiscal year 2026. The section is organized into the 4 code ranges listed below.
Type 1 Excludes
A type 1 excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means "NOT CODED HERE!" An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.
- current injury - see injury of spine by body region
- discitis NOS M46.4
Code Ranges in This Section 4 ranges · 167 codes
The info icon previews the code ranges inside each row and its instructional notations from the official Tabular List.
About the M50–M54 Code Range
The ICD-10 codes from M50 to M54 cover a range of other dorsopathies, which primarily include disorders of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar intervertebral discs and related spinal conditions. These codes classify conditions like cervical disc disorders with myelopathy or radiculopathy, various intervertebral disc displacements and degenerations, spinal instabilities, and dorsalgia, which refers to back pain of diverse causes.
This code range is used to identify specific spinal disorders such as cervical disc prolapse with myelopathy (M50.00), also known as intervertebral disc disorder with myelopathy of the cervical region, and radiculopathy (M54.1), which includes nerve root irritation causing radiating pain, often synonymous with brachial neuritis or radicular pain. It further details conditions affecting other spinal regions, including thoracic and lumbar discs, with subcodes specifying the exact location and pathology. For example, M51.06 describes lumbar intervertebral disc disorders with myelopathy, while M51.A codes address lumbar annulus fibrosus disc defects by size. The range also covers spinal instabilities (M53.2) in different spinal regions and various types of dorsalgia (M54), including common diagnoses like cervicalgia (neck pain, M54.2) and sciatica (M54.3). Understanding synonyms such as "prolapsed cervical intervertebral disc" or "lumbago with sciatica" helps select the most accurate code for billing and clinical documentation.
Questions About This Page
How many codes are in the M50-M54 range?
The M50-M54 range contains 167 ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes in FY 2026. 133 of them are billable, and the rest are category headers that organize the section.
What conditions does M50-M54 cover?
The range covers other dorsopathies. 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.
