ICD-10-CM Code For Other Inflammatory Spondylopathies: Group Overview

The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) code group M46 includes inflammatory disorders of the spine and sacroiliac joints such as spondylitis, sacroiliitis, and related nonpyogenic conditions that cause axial pain and structural involvement. These ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes are used to document clinical presentations including inflammatory back pain, sacroiliac joint inflammation, axial involvement in systemic inflammatory diseases, and complexity related to neurologic or structural complications. Accurate coding within the ICD-10-CM M46 group supports proper claim adjudication, complete clinical documentation, and appropriate reimbursement.

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ICD-10-CM M46: Other Inflammatory Spondylopathies Overview

The ICD-10-CM M46 group represents inflammatory disorders affecting the spine and sacroiliac region, including nonpyogenic and other specified spondylopathies. These conditions target the axial skeleton and surrounding soft tissues and can lead to pain, stiffness, and structural changes. Accurate coding is important for clear clinical documentation and supports appropriate reimbursement for services related to diagnosis and management.

When to Use

Use codes from this group when clinical documentation indicates an inflammatory disorder of the spine or sacroiliac joints such as spondylitis, sacroiliitis, or other specified nonpyogenic spinal inflammation. Choose the most specific code to reflect site, laterality if applicable, and any associated complications documented in the medical record.

ICD-10-CM Codes

70 rows

ICD-10-CM Code	Description
M46.00	Spinal enthesopathy, site unspecified
M46.01	Spinal enthesopathy, occipito-atlanto-axial region
M46.02	Spinal enthesopathy, cervical region
M46.03	Spinal enthesopathy, cervicothoracic region
M46.04	Spinal enthesopathy, thoracic region
M46.05	Spinal enthesopathy, thoracolumbar region
M46.06	Spinal enthesopathy, lumbar region
M46.07	Spinal enthesopathy, lumbosacral region
M46.08	Spinal enthesopathy, sacral and sacrococcygeal region
M46.09	Spinal enthesopathy, multiple sites in spine
M46.1	Sacroiliitis, not elsewhere classified
M46.20	Osteomyelitis of vertebra, site unspecified
M46.21	Osteomyelitis of vertebra, occipito-atlanto-axial region
M46.22	Osteomyelitis of vertebra, cervical region
M46.23	Osteomyelitis of vertebra, cervicothoracic region
M46.24	Osteomyelitis of vertebra, thoracic region
M46.25	Osteomyelitis of vertebra, thoracolumbar region
M46.26	Osteomyelitis of vertebra, lumbar region
M46.27	Osteomyelitis of vertebra, lumbosacral region
M46.28	Osteomyelitis of vertebra, sacral and sacrococcygeal region

Showing 1–20 of 70

DRG Codes

8 rows

DRG Code	Description
456	Spinal Fusion Except Cervical with Spinal Curvature, Malignancy, Infection or Extensive Fusions with MCC
457	Spinal Fusion Except Cervical with Spinal Curvature, Malignancy, Infection or Extensive Fusions with CC
458	Spinal Fusion Except Cervical with Spinal Curvature, Malignancy, Infection or Extensive Fusions without CC/MCC
539	Osteomyelitis with MCC
540	Osteomyelitis with CC
541	Osteomyelitis without CC/MCC
551	Medical Back Problems with MCC
552	Medical Back Problems without MCC

Typical Clinical Scenarios

A 28-year-old patient with known ankylosing spondylitis presents to the clinic with a several-week history of worsening mid-back pain, morning stiffness that improves with activity, and new localized tenderness over the thoracic spine; MRI shows inflammatory changes centered at a single thoracic vertebral body with adjacent disc involvement consistent with vertebral osteitis related to the underlying inflammatory spondylopathy, prompting assignment of a code from this group for inflammatory spondylopathy of the thoracic spine. Typical codes: M46.36, M46.37
An older adult with a recent history of bacteremia presents to the emergency department with severe acute low back pain, fever, and progressive neurologic deficits; imaging demonstrates an infectious spondylodiscitis of the lumbar region with epidural extension, requiring urgent medical and often surgical management, and an acute inflammatory spondylopathy code from this group is used to capture the infectious/inflammatory process. Typical codes: M46.24, M46.26
A middle-aged patient with prolonged corticosteroid use and chronic inflammatory back pain is seen in follow-up for new chronic neck stiffness and reduced cervical range of motion; radiographs show chronic inflammatory changes and ankylosis affecting multiple cervical segments without acute infection, so a chronic inflammatory spondylopathy code for the cervical region is assigned to document the ongoing spondylopathic disorder as a comorbidity. Typical codes: M46.00, M46.01}

Related Codes

M45-ANKYLOSING-SPONDYLITIS

ICD-10-CM Code For Ankylosing Spondylitis: Group Overview

M47-SPONDYLOSIS

ICD-10-CM Code For Spondylosis: Group Overview

M48-OTHER-SPONDYLOPATHIES

ICD-10-CM Code For Other Spondylopathies: Group Overview

M49-SPONDYLOPATHIES-IN-DISEASES-CLASSIFIED-ELSEWHERE

ICD-10-CM Code For Spondylopathies In Diseases Classified Elsewhere: Group Overview

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-CM Codes

70 rows

ICD-10-CM Code	Description
M46.00	Spinal enthesopathy, site unspecified
M46.01	Spinal enthesopathy, occipito-atlanto-axial region
M46.02	Spinal enthesopathy, cervical region
M46.03	Spinal enthesopathy, cervicothoracic region
M46.04	Spinal enthesopathy, thoracic region
M46.05	Spinal enthesopathy, thoracolumbar region
M46.06	Spinal enthesopathy, lumbar region
M46.07	Spinal enthesopathy, lumbosacral region
M46.08	Spinal enthesopathy, sacral and sacrococcygeal region
M46.09	Spinal enthesopathy, multiple sites in spine
M46.1	Sacroiliitis, not elsewhere classified
M46.20	Osteomyelitis of vertebra, site unspecified
M46.21	Osteomyelitis of vertebra, occipito-atlanto-axial region
M46.22	Osteomyelitis of vertebra, cervical region
M46.23	Osteomyelitis of vertebra, cervicothoracic region
M46.24	Osteomyelitis of vertebra, thoracic region
M46.25	Osteomyelitis of vertebra, thoracolumbar region
M46.26	Osteomyelitis of vertebra, lumbar region
M46.27	Osteomyelitis of vertebra, lumbosacral region
M46.28	Osteomyelitis of vertebra, sacral and sacrococcygeal region

Showing 1–20 of 70

DRG Codes

8 rows

DRG Code	Description
456	Spinal Fusion Except Cervical with Spinal Curvature, Malignancy, Infection or Extensive Fusions with MCC
457	Spinal Fusion Except Cervical with Spinal Curvature, Malignancy, Infection or Extensive Fusions with CC
458	Spinal Fusion Except Cervical with Spinal Curvature, Malignancy, Infection or Extensive Fusions without CC/MCC
539	Osteomyelitis with MCC
540	Osteomyelitis with CC
541	Osteomyelitis without CC/MCC
551	Medical Back Problems with MCC
552	Medical Back Problems without MCC

Typical Clinical Scenarios

A 28-year-old patient with known ankylosing spondylitis presents to the clinic with a several-week history of worsening mid-back pain, morning stiffness that improves with activity, and new localized tenderness over the thoracic spine; MRI shows inflammatory changes centered at a single thoracic vertebral body with adjacent disc involvement consistent with vertebral osteitis related to the underlying inflammatory spondylopathy, prompting assignment of a code from this group for inflammatory spondylopathy of the thoracic spine. Typical codes: M46.36, M46.37
An older adult with a recent history of bacteremia presents to the emergency department with severe acute low back pain, fever, and progressive neurologic deficits; imaging demonstrates an infectious spondylodiscitis of the lumbar region with epidural extension, requiring urgent medical and often surgical management, and an acute inflammatory spondylopathy code from this group is used to capture the infectious/inflammatory process. Typical codes: M46.24, M46.26
A middle-aged patient with prolonged corticosteroid use and chronic inflammatory back pain is seen in follow-up for new chronic neck stiffness and reduced cervical range of motion; radiographs show chronic inflammatory changes and ankylosis affecting multiple cervical segments without acute infection, so a chronic inflammatory spondylopathy code for the cervical region is assigned to document the ongoing spondylopathic disorder as a comorbidity. Typical codes: M46.00, M46.01}

Related Codes

M45-ANKYLOSING-SPONDYLITIS

ICD-10-CM Code For Ankylosing Spondylitis: Group Overview

M47-SPONDYLOSIS

ICD-10-CM Code For Spondylosis: Group Overview

M48-OTHER-SPONDYLOPATHIES

ICD-10-CM Code For Other Spondylopathies: Group Overview

M49-SPONDYLOPATHIES-IN-DISEASES-CLASSIFIED-ELSEWHERE

ICD-10-CM Code For Spondylopathies In Diseases Classified Elsewhere: Group Overview

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-CM Code For Other Inflammatory Spondylopathies: Group Overview

Sign up for ICD-10-CM Code For Other Inflammatory Spondylopathies: Group Overview policy alerts

ICD-10-CM M46: Other Inflammatory Spondylopathies Overview

ICD-10-CM Code For Other Inflammatory Spondylopathies: Group Overview

Sign up for ICD-10-CM Code For Other Inflammatory Spondylopathies: Group Overview policy alerts

ICD-10-CM M46: Other Inflammatory Spondylopathies Overview

When to Use

ICD-10-CM Codes

DRG Codes

Typical Clinical Scenarios

Related Codes

Which conditions are included in ICD-10-CM group M46?

How are site-specific diagnoses represented in the M46 code group?

Which M46 codes should be used for infections of the intervertebral disc?

What related DRGs are associated with M46 diagnoses for claims processing?

How does accurate coding in the M46 group support reimbursement and documentation?

References

When to Use

ICD-10-CM Codes

DRG Codes

Typical Clinical Scenarios

Related Codes

Which conditions are included in ICD-10-CM group M46?

How are site-specific diagnoses represented in the M46 code group?

Which M46 codes should be used for infections of the intervertebral disc?

What related DRGs are associated with M46 diagnoses for claims processing?

How does accurate coding in the M46 group support reimbursement and documentation?

References