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ICD10BillableValid for clinical use

ICD-10 Code M12.552: Traumatic arthropathy, left hip

M12.552 is a billable ICD-10 diagnosis code used to classify Traumatic arthropathy, left hip in medical records and claims. You may see this code in hospital records, discharge summaries, insurance claims, encounter documentation, referrals, or other healthcare billing and coding records. ICD-10 codes are diagnosis classification codes used in healthcare records, reporting, coding workflows, and billing support. This code sits within the broader ICD-10 area for Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99).

What is this code?

ICD-10 codes are diagnosis classification codes used in healthcare records, reporting, coding workflows, and billing support. This code sits within the broader ICD-10 area for Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99).

šŸ“‹Clinical overview

This ICD-10 code is commonly used when documentation describes traumatic arthropathy. The most accurate code depends on the affected joint site and whether laterality is documented.

When is it used?

  • May be used when a clinician documents traumatic arthropathy, left hip in a patient's medical record.
  • May appear in hospital records, claims, referrals, and clinical documentation.
  • This code can be used as a clinically usable diagnosis entry in standardized coding workflows.

What it does not mean

  • A code alone does not explain severity, treatment plan, or outcome.
  • A medical code should not be treated as a substitute for a doctor's diagnosis or advice.

šŸ©ŗClinical context

When commonly used
  • Orthopedic, rehabilitation, primary-care, and imaging workflows where chronic or established joint disease is attributed to prior trauma.
  • Coding and utilization-review workflows where the record supports traumatic arthropathy and the final code changes based on joint site, laterality, or multiple-site involvement.
Common management context
  • Evaluation often includes joint pain and function review, prior-injury history, imaging context, and planning for orthopedic follow-up, rehabilitation, or symptom-directed management.
  • Documentation usually becomes more specific when the chart identifies the exact joint, laterality, and whether one or multiple joints are involved.
  • Specialist context already linked on this page includes Orthopedic Specialist, Rheumatologist.

šŸ”Key distinctions

Important notes
  • These ICD-10 codes are reserved for arthropathy attributed to prior trauma rather than primary osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, or nontraumatic joint disorders.
  • Joint site, laterality, and whether multiple joints are involved all affect final code specificity inside this family.
  • Joint-site detail matters here because shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand, hip, knee, ankle-foot, other-site, and multiple-site traumatic arthropathy are coded separately when the chart names the affected joint more specifically.
  • Laterality matters here because right-sided, left-sided, and unspecified-side traumatic arthropathy are coded separately when the affected joint is documented more precisely.
  • Documentation that describes traumatic arthropathy is coded differently from inflammatory arthritis, primary osteoarthritis, or nontraumatic joint derangement.
Related codes to consider
M12.551Traumatic arthropathy, right hip
Related traumatic-arthropathy ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies the exact joint, laterality, multiple-site involvement, or another post-traumatic joint context.
M12.559Traumatic arthropathy, unspecified hip
Related traumatic-arthropathy ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies the exact joint, laterality, multiple-site involvement, or another post-traumatic joint context.

Code hierarchy

chapter
13Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99)
block
M00-M25Arthropathies
block
M05-M14Inflammatory polyarthropathies
category
M12Other and unspecified arthropathy
category
M12.5Traumatic arthropathy
category
M12.55Traumatic arthropathy, hip
currentM12.55

Where you may see this code

You may see this code in hospital records, discharge summaries, insurance claims, encounter documentation, referrals, or other healthcare billing and coding records.

Related specialists

Orthopedic SpecialistRheumatologist

Coverage-related procedures and services

CPT 27130high
ARTHROPLASTY, ACETABULAR AND PROXIMAL FEMORAL PROSTHETIC REPLACEMENT (TOTAL HIP ARTHROPLASTY), WITH OR WITHOUT AUTOGRAFT OR ALLOGRAFT
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 27132high
CONVERSION OF PREVIOUS HIP SURGERY TO TOTAL HIP ARTHROPLASTY, WITH OR WITHOUT AUTOGRAFT OR ALLOGRAFT
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 27137high
REVISION OF TOTAL HIP ARTHROPLASTY; ACETABULAR COMPONENT ONLY, WITH OR WITHOUT AUTOGRAFT OR ALLOGRAFT
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 27134high
REVISION OF TOTAL HIP ARTHROPLASTY; BOTH COMPONENTS, WITH OR WITHOUT AUTOGRAFT OR ALLOGRAFT
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 27138high
REVISION OF TOTAL HIP ARTHROPLASTY; FEMORAL COMPONENT ONLY, WITH OR WITHOUT ALLOGRAFT
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 97034high
APPLICATION OF A MODALITY TO 1 OR MORE AREAS; CONTRAST BATHS, EACH 15 MINUTES
Source: CMS coverage guidance

Coding guidelines

Common synonyms

Traumatic arthropathy, left hip

Frequently asked questions

Code details

CodeM12.552
SystemICD10
Display nameTraumatic arthropathy, left hip
ChapterDiseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99)
BlockInflammatory polyarthropathies

Flags

BillableYes
Valid clinical useYes

Source

SourceICD-10
Version2026-annual
Releaseannual
Year2026

About this content

This page is prepared by HealthAssure's clinical team using official coding standards from ICD-10. AI tools assist with drafting explanations, which are then reviewed and verified by healthcare professionals for accuracy. This content is for informational purposes and does not replace professional medical advice. Meet our team.