ICD-10-PCS Code For Lower Arm And Wrist Muscle Left: Procedure Code Group Overview

The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-PCS) code group 0KNB includes procedures performed to release muscles in the lower arm and wrist, left. These ICD-10-PCS codes are used for inpatient documentation when surgical or mechanical release of constricting muscle tissue is performed to restore function or relieve contracture. Accurate coding within the ICD-10-PCS 0KNB group is essential for proper inpatient reimbursement, as it captures the procedure performed and determines appropriate case mix and payment.

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Lower Arm And Wrist Muscle Release Procedure Overview

Procedures in this ICD-10-PCS code group involve releasing a lower arm and wrist muscle from abnormal physical constraint by cutting or using force. These procedures target the muscles body system and are performed to restore mobility, relieve tension, or free muscle tissue from restrictive adhesions or contractures. Accurate coding of these releases is important for inpatient reimbursement because it documents the operation performed and supports appropriate case mix and payment.

Code Attributes

Character	ICD-10-PCS Category	Code Group Details
0	Section	Medical and Surgical
K	Body System	Muscles
N	Operation	Release
B	Body Part	Lower Arm and Wrist Muscle, Left

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ICD-10-PCS Code For Lower Arm And Wrist Muscle Left: Procedure Code Group Overview

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Lower Arm And Wrist Muscle Release Procedure Overview

Code Attributes

Character	ICD-10-PCS Category	Code Group Details
0	Section	Medical and Surgical
K	Body System	Muscles
N	Operation	Release
B	Body Part	Lower Arm and Wrist Muscle, Left

When to Use

Use a code from this group when a surgical release or mechanical manipulation is performed on left lower arm and wrist muscle tissue to relieve adhesions, contracture, or other physical constraints. These codes apply when the primary objective of the operation is to free the muscle rather than to repair, remove, or replace tissue.

ICD-10-PCS Codes

4 rows

ICD-10-PCS Code	Description
0KNB0ZZ	Release Left Lower Arm and Wrist Muscle, Open Approach
0KNB3ZZ	Release Left Lower Arm and Wrist Muscle, Percutaneous Approach
0KNB4ZZ	Release Left Lower Arm and Wrist Muscle, Percutaneous Endoscopic Approach
0KNBXZZ	Release Left Lower Arm and Wrist Muscle, External Approach

DRG Codes

3 rows

DRG Code	Description
500	Soft Tissue Procedures with MCC
501	Soft Tissue Procedures with CC
502	Soft Tissue Procedures without CC/MCC

Typical Clinical Scenarios

An elderly patient with a history of long-standing hemiparesis presents with progressive left wrist and finger flexor contractures restricting hand opening and causing skin breakdown; conservative therapies failed and the contracture is severe enough to impair hygiene and positioning, so an inpatient surgical release is performed to free the affected left lower arm and wrist muscle tissue and restore passive range of motion. Typical codes: 0KNB0ZZ
A middle-aged construction worker sustains a crush injury to the left forearm with acute compartment syndrome that has been managed initially but now shows persistent constricting fibrous bands and restricted muscle excursion; during the planned inpatient procedure to address soft-tissue entrapment and improve limb function, the surgeon performs a focused release of the left lower arm and wrist muscles. Typical codes: 0KNB3ZZ, 0KNB4ZZ
A patient returns to the hospital weeks after a distal forearm fracture repair with developing adhesions and painful scar contracture limiting wrist extension; because outpatient therapy has not improved motion and pain, an inpatient procedure is undertaken to release the adherent left lower arm and wrist muscles and facilitate rehabilitation. Typical codes: 0KNBXZZ

Related Codes

0KN0-HEAD-MUSCLE-RELEASE

ICD-10-PCS Code For Head Muscle: Procedure Code Group Overview

0KN1-FACIAL-MUSCLE-RELEASE

ICD-10-PCS Code For Facial Muscle: Procedure Code Group Overview

0KN2-NECK-MUSCLE-RELEASE

ICD-10-PCS Code For Neck Muscle, Right: Procedure Code Group Overview

0KN3-NECK-MUSCLE-RELEASE

ICD-10-PCS Code For Neck Muscle, Left: Procedure Code Group Overview

0KN4-TONGUE-PALATE-PHARYNX-RELEASE

ICD-10-PCS Code For Tongue Palate Pharynx Muscle: Procedure Code Group Overview

0KN5-SHOULDER-MUSCLE-RELEASE

ICD-10-PCS Code For Shoulder Muscle, Right: Procedure Code Group Overview

0KN6-LEFT-SHOULDER-RELEASE

ICD-10-PCS Code For Left Shoulder Muscle: Procedure Code Group Overview

0KN7-UPPER-ARM-MUSCLE-RELEASE

ICD-10-PCS Code For Upper Arm Muscle Right: Procedure Code Group Overview

0KN8-UPPER-ARM-MUSCLE-RELEASE

ICD-10-PCS Code For Upper Arm Muscle Left: Procedure Code Group Overview

0KN9-LOWER-ARM-AND-WRIST-RELEASE

ICD-10-PCS Code For Lower Arm And Wrist Muscle Right: Procedure Code Group Overview

Showing 1–10 of 25

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

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When to Use

ICD-10-PCS Codes

4 rows

ICD-10-PCS Code	Description
0KNB0ZZ	Release Left Lower Arm and Wrist Muscle, Open Approach
0KNB3ZZ	Release Left Lower Arm and Wrist Muscle, Percutaneous Approach
0KNB4ZZ	Release Left Lower Arm and Wrist Muscle, Percutaneous Endoscopic Approach
0KNBXZZ	Release Left Lower Arm and Wrist Muscle, External Approach

DRG Codes

3 rows

DRG Code	Description
500	Soft Tissue Procedures with MCC
501	Soft Tissue Procedures with CC
502	Soft Tissue Procedures without CC/MCC

Typical Clinical Scenarios

An elderly patient with a history of long-standing hemiparesis presents with progressive left wrist and finger flexor contractures restricting hand opening and causing skin breakdown; conservative therapies failed and the contracture is severe enough to impair hygiene and positioning, so an inpatient surgical release is performed to free the affected left lower arm and wrist muscle tissue and restore passive range of motion. Typical codes: 0KNB0ZZ
A middle-aged construction worker sustains a crush injury to the left forearm with acute compartment syndrome that has been managed initially but now shows persistent constricting fibrous bands and restricted muscle excursion; during the planned inpatient procedure to address soft-tissue entrapment and improve limb function, the surgeon performs a focused release of the left lower arm and wrist muscles. Typical codes: 0KNB3ZZ, 0KNB4ZZ
A patient returns to the hospital weeks after a distal forearm fracture repair with developing adhesions and painful scar contracture limiting wrist extension; because outpatient therapy has not improved motion and pain, an inpatient procedure is undertaken to release the adherent left lower arm and wrist muscles and facilitate rehabilitation. Typical codes: 0KNBXZZ

Related Codes

0KN0-HEAD-MUSCLE-RELEASE

ICD-10-PCS Code For Head Muscle: Procedure Code Group Overview

0KN1-FACIAL-MUSCLE-RELEASE

ICD-10-PCS Code For Facial Muscle: Procedure Code Group Overview

0KN2-NECK-MUSCLE-RELEASE

ICD-10-PCS Code For Neck Muscle, Right: Procedure Code Group Overview

0KN3-NECK-MUSCLE-RELEASE

ICD-10-PCS Code For Neck Muscle, Left: Procedure Code Group Overview

0KN4-TONGUE-PALATE-PHARYNX-RELEASE

ICD-10-PCS Code For Tongue Palate Pharynx Muscle: Procedure Code Group Overview

0KN5-SHOULDER-MUSCLE-RELEASE

ICD-10-PCS Code For Shoulder Muscle, Right: Procedure Code Group Overview

0KN6-LEFT-SHOULDER-RELEASE

ICD-10-PCS Code For Left Shoulder Muscle: Procedure Code Group Overview

0KN7-UPPER-ARM-MUSCLE-RELEASE

ICD-10-PCS Code For Upper Arm Muscle Right: Procedure Code Group Overview

0KN8-UPPER-ARM-MUSCLE-RELEASE

ICD-10-PCS Code For Upper Arm Muscle Left: Procedure Code Group Overview

0KN9-LOWER-ARM-AND-WRIST-RELEASE

ICD-10-PCS Code For Lower Arm And Wrist Muscle Right: Procedure Code Group Overview

Showing 1–10 of 25

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

ICD-10-PCS Code For Lower Arm And Wrist Muscle Left: Procedure Code Group Overview

Sign up for ICD-10-PCS Code For Lower Arm And Wrist Muscle Left: Procedure Code Group Overview policy alerts

Lower Arm And Wrist Muscle Release Procedure Overview

Code Attributes

ICD-10-PCS Code For Lower Arm And Wrist Muscle Left: Procedure Code Group Overview

Sign up for ICD-10-PCS Code For Lower Arm And Wrist Muscle Left: Procedure Code Group Overview policy alerts

Lower Arm And Wrist Muscle Release Procedure Overview

Code Attributes

When to Use

ICD-10-PCS Codes

DRG Codes

Typical Clinical Scenarios

Related Codes

Which procedures are included in the ICD-10-PCS 0KNB code group?

What is the primary clinical purpose of procedures in 0KNB?

Which ICD-10-PCS code should I use for an open release of the left lower arm and wrist muscle?

How do the approach options differ within the 0KNB code group?

How does accurate coding in 0KNB affect inpatient reimbursement?

References

When to Use

ICD-10-PCS Codes

DRG Codes

Typical Clinical Scenarios

Related Codes

Which procedures are included in the ICD-10-PCS 0KNB code group?

What is the primary clinical purpose of procedures in 0KNB?

Which ICD-10-PCS code should I use for an open release of the left lower arm and wrist muscle?

How do the approach options differ within the 0KNB code group?

How does accurate coding in 0KNB affect inpatient reimbursement?

References