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ICD-10 Code M23.212: Derangement of anterior horn of medial meniscus due to old tear or injury, left knee

M23.212 is a billable ICD-10 diagnosis code used to classify Derangement of anterior horn of medial meniscus due to old tear or injury, left knee 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 derangement of a knee meniscus due to old tear or injury. The most accurate code depends on whether the meniscus is medial, lateral, or unspecified, which horn or part is involved, and which knee is affected.

When is it used?

  • May be used when a clinician documents derangement of anterior horn of medial meniscus due to old tear or injury, left knee 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, sports-medicine, rehabilitation, and imaging workflows where chronic or old-tear meniscal derangement is part of the documented knee problem list.
  • Coding and utilization-review workflows where the record supports meniscal derangement due to old tear or injury and the final code changes based on compartment, horn location, or laterality.
Common management context
  • Evaluation often includes knee pain and mechanical-symptom review, physical examination, MRI or other imaging context, and planning for orthopedic follow-up or rehabilitation.
  • Documentation usually becomes more specific when the chart identifies medial versus lateral meniscus, anterior versus posterior horn, other-part involvement, or right versus left knee.
  • Specialist context already linked on this page includes Orthopedic Specialist, Rheumatologist, ENT Specialist.

šŸ”Key distinctions

Important notes
  • These ICD-10 codes are reserved for chronic or old-tear-or-injury meniscal derangement rather than acute traumatic meniscal injury.
  • Meniscal compartment, horn location, and laterality all affect final code specificity inside this family.
  • Medial-meniscus derangement is coded separately from lateral-meniscus derangement when the chart identifies the involved compartment more specifically.
  • Anterior-horn meniscal derangement is coded separately from posterior-horn, other-part, or unspecified meniscal derangement.
  • Laterality matters here because right-knee, left-knee, and unspecified-knee meniscal derangement are coded separately.
  • Documentation that describes meniscal derangement due to old tear or injury is coded differently from acute traumatic meniscal injury, ligament derangement, or other knee disorders.
Related codes to consider
M23.211Derangement of anterior horn of medial meniscus due to old tear or injury, right knee
Related meniscal-derangement ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies medial versus lateral compartment, horn location, laterality, or acute-versus-old injury context.
M23.219Derangement of anterior horn of medial meniscus due to old tear or injury, unspecified knee
Related meniscal-derangement ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies medial versus lateral compartment, horn location, laterality, or acute-versus-old injury context.

Code hierarchy

chapter
13Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99)
block
M00-M25Arthropathies
block
M20-M25Other joint disorders
category
M23Internal derangement of knee
category
M23.2Derangement of meniscus due to old tear or injury
category
M23.21Derangement of anterior horn of medial meniscus due to old tear or injury
currentM23.21

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 SpecialistRheumatologistENT Specialist

Coding guidelines

Common synonyms

Derangement of anterior horn of medial meniscus due to old tear or injury, left knee

Frequently asked questions

Code details

CodeM23.212
SystemICD10
Display nameDerangement of anterior horn of medial meniscus due to old tear or injury, left knee
ChapterDiseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99)
BlockOther joint disorders

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.