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ICD-10 Code M48.43: Fatigue fracture of vertebra, cervicothoracic region

M48.43 is a billable ICD-10 diagnosis code used to classify Fatigue fracture of vertebra, cervicothoracic region 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 fatigue fracture of a vertebra. The most accurate code depends on the affected spinal region.

When is it used?

  • May be used when a clinician documents fatigue fracture of vertebra, cervicothoracic region 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, spine, rehabilitation, and imaging workflows where vertebral stress or fatigue fracture is part of the documented problem list.
  • Coding and utilization-review workflows where the record supports fatigue fracture of vertebra and the final code changes based on spinal region.
Common management context
  • Evaluation often includes pain review, spine imaging context, activity or load history, and planning for orthopedic or spine follow-up.
  • Documentation usually becomes more specific when the chart identifies the exact spinal region involved.
  • Specialist context already linked on this page includes Orthopedic Specialist, Rheumatologist.

šŸ”Key distinctions

Important notes
  • These ICD-10 codes are reserved for fatigue fracture of vertebra rather than traumatic spondylopathy or other vertebral fracture patterns.
  • Spinal-region detail drives most of the code specificity inside this family.
  • Spinal-region detail matters here because upper cervical, cervical, cervicothoracic, thoracic, thoracolumbar, lumbar, lumbosacral, and sacral-coccygeal involvement are coded separately when the chart names the affected region more specifically.
  • Documentation that describes fatigue fracture of vertebra is coded differently from traumatic spondylopathy or another vertebral fracture pattern.
Related codes to consider
M48.40Fatigue fracture of vertebra, site unspecified
Related spinal-disorder ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies the spinal region, fatigue-fracture versus traumatic pattern, or another vertebral context.
M48.41Fatigue fracture of vertebra, occipito-atlanto-axial region
Related spinal-disorder ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies the spinal region, fatigue-fracture versus traumatic pattern, or another vertebral context.
M48.42Fatigue fracture of vertebra, cervical region
Related spinal-disorder ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies the spinal region, fatigue-fracture versus traumatic pattern, or another vertebral context.
M48.44Fatigue fracture of vertebra, thoracic region
Related spinal-disorder ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies the spinal region, fatigue-fracture versus traumatic pattern, or another vertebral context.

Code hierarchy

chapter
13Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99)
block
M40-M54Dorsopathies
block
M45-M49Spondylopathies
category
M48Other spondylopathies
category
M48.4Fatigue fracture of vertebra
currentM48.4

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

Coding guidelines

Compatibility

Legacy and official ICD code match exactly.
Legacy codes
M48.43

Common synonyms

Fatigue fracture of vertebra, cervicothoracic region

Frequently asked questions

Code details

CodeM48.43
SystemICD10
Display nameFatigue fracture of vertebra, cervicothoracic region
ChapterDiseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99)
BlockSpondylopathies

Flags

BillableYes
Valid clinical useYes

Source

SourceICD-10
Version2026-annual
Releaseannual
Year2026

Index terms

Matched terms
Fracture, traumatic(abduction) (adduction) (separation)

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.