Skip to content

M86.8X5 ICD-10-CM Code: Other osteomyelitis, thigh

M86.8X5 maps to CMS-HCC V28 92. A source-labeled RAF reference is available. Confirm the documented diagnosis and applicable coding requirements. MEAT criteria · RAF Calculator · HCC coding software

ICD-10-CM Code View

HCC Buddy Code Card

Digital ICD-10 code-book layout with official code detail, always-visible risk models, Code Trumping, and Buddy coding guidance.

Code lookupM86.8X5

FY 2026 Apr update / Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99) / Other osteopathies (M86-M90)

M86.8X5

Billable / SpecificICD-10-CMOfficial ICD-10-CMCodebook guidance

Other osteomyelitis, thigh

A bone infection (osteomyelitis) affecting the thigh (femur) that doesn't fit into other specific osteomyelitis categories.

Buddy the Bee presenting code insight

Buddy Insight

Other osteomyelitis of the thigh indicates bone infection of the femur that doesn't conform to standard acute or chronic patterns.

CMS-HCC V28

HCC 92

Code-level coefficient reference

CMS-HCC V24

Historical

Historical

Not used for CY2026 payment

ACA/HHS

HCC 055

Code-level coefficient reference

ESRD/PACE

HCC 39

Code-level coefficient reference

RXHCC

N/A

Not mapped

Inclusion Terms

Official
  • Brodie's abscessInherited from M86.8

Excludes 2

Official
  • arthropathic psoriasis (L40.5-)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • compartment syndrome (traumatic) (T79.A-)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • neoplasms (C00-D49)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • ostemyelitis of:Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • orbit (H05.0-)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • petrous bone (H70.2-)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • vertebra (M46.2-)Inherited from M00-M99, M86

Includes

Official

No Includes notes are included in this display for M86.8X5. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Excludes 1

Official
  • postprocedural osteopathies (M96.-)Inherited from M86-M90, M86
  • osteomyelitis due to:Inherited from M86-M90, M86
  • echinococcus (B67.2)Inherited from M86-M90, M86
  • gonococcus (A54.43)Inherited from M86-M90, M86
  • salmonella (A02.24)Inherited from M86-M90, M86

Code First

Official

No Code First sequencing instructions are included in this display for M86.8X5. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Use Additional

Official
  • code (B95-B97) to identify infectious agentInherited from M86
  • code to identify major osseous defect, if applicable (M89.7-)Inherited from M86

Code Also

Official

No Code Also instructions are included in this display for M86.8X5. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
Documentation of femur osteomyelitis diagnosis
Clinical rationale for 'other' versus acute or chronic classification
Specification of femur involvement and anatomical location
Comprehensive imaging studies demonstrating bone infection

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance
Documentation of femur osteomyelitis diagnosis
Clinical rationale for 'other' versus acute or chronic classification
Specification of femur involvement and anatomical location
Comprehensive imaging studies demonstrating bone infection

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance
Misapplying when standard acute or chronic codes are appropriate
Not documenting laterality when clearly specified
Confusing with hip or knee joint infections
Missing associated complications like DVT from immobility

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance
M86.651 — Chronic osteomyelitis of right femur has established chronicity
M86.151 — Acute osteomyelitis of right femur represents acute presentation
M79.605 — Pain in leg affects soft tissue, not bone
S72.9 — Fracture of femur is traumatic injury rather than infection

Current with CMS: FY2026 ICD-10-CM Apr 1 update (effective Apr 1 – Sep 30, 2026) · CMS-HCC V28, 100% phased in for payment year 2026. FY2027 code set already staged for October 1, 2026. How HCC Buddy stays current →

Is M86.8X5 an HCC code?

Yes. M86.8X5 (Other osteomyelitis, thigh) maps to HCC 92, Bone/Joint/Muscle/Severe Soft Tissue Infections/Necrosis under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, with a source-labeled community non-dual aged reference coefficient of 0.479. Source-labeled code-level coefficients are references, not member totals. Actual contribution depends on complete member context, hierarchy and cleanup rules, interactions, and model year. HCC Buddy's RAF Calculator supports CMS-HCC V28 PY2026 and shows no score unless every required source and calculation check passes. It is billable for payment year 2026.

Coder answer: M86.8X5 is billable and maps to V28 HCC 92, Bone/Joint/Muscle/Severe Soft Tissue Infections/Necrosis. Open it in the Code Book for the tabular path, RAF, and MEAT checklist.

Code
M86.8X5
Description
Other osteomyelitis, thigh
HCC (V28)
HCC 92 — Bone/Joint/Muscle/Severe Soft Tissue Infections/Necrosis
RAF reference coefficient
0.479
Billable
Yes
Payment year
2026

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 92, Bone/Joint/Muscle/Severe Soft Tissue Infections/Necrosis
0.479
ESRDHCC 39, Bone/Joint/Muscle Infections/Necrosis
Not separately weighted

These are source-labeled model coefficients, not member totals. A category may still be removed by hierarchy or model cleanup rules. Weights are not directly comparable across models: CMS-HCC V28 and V24 use Community, Non-Dual, Aged; ESRD uses the dialysis continuing-enrollee model; RxHCC is the Part D continuing-enrollee, non-low-income, aged weight (a larger scale than CMS-HCC). ACA/HHS has no single weight — it varies by metal level. Actual per-patient RAF contribution depends on member context, hierarchy and cleanup rules, interactions, and the model year used by the payer. V28 is the CMS-HCC model phased in over payment years 2024–2026; V24 remains available for historical review.

Work M86.8X5 in the Code Book — tabular path, V28 RAF reference, and MEAT checklist →

MEAT review for M86.8X5

For M86.8X5, confirm that the documentation supports the diagnosis and meets the applicable coding, encounter, program and payer requirements. MEAT (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) is a review mnemonic, not a universal CMS coding rule.

  • MMonitor: signs, symptoms, disease progression, or lab trending documented in the note
  • EEvaluate: test results, medication response, or physical findings reviewed by the provider
  • AAssess: explicit mention in the assessment or plan with acknowledgment of status
  • TTreat: medication, referral, procedure, therapy, or counseling tied to the diagnosis

Coder workflow notes

Get the V28 mapping + MEAT cheat sheet

One printable reference: check representative V28 mappings and the documentation reminders your note needs. Free, no card.

Free PDF. No card. Unsubscribe anytime.

What This Code Means

M86.8X5 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for other osteomyelitis, thigh. A bone infection (osteomyelitis) affecting the thigh (femur) that doesn't fit into other specific osteomyelitis categories. M86.8X5 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (m00-m99), within the section covering other osteopathies (m86-m90).

Under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, M86.8X5 maps to Bone/Joint/Muscle/Severe Soft Tissue Infections/Necrosis (HCC 92) with a source-labeled community, non-dual, aged reference coefficient of 0.479. No V24 mapping is shown for M86.8X5; use the applicable model and payment year when reviewing the V28 mapping. For CY2026 non-PACE Medicare Advantage, CMS uses 100% of the 2024 CMS-HCC model (V28). PACE uses a separate model blend. Source-labeled code-level coefficients are references, not member totals. Actual contribution depends on complete member context, hierarchy and cleanup rules, interactions, and model year. HCC Buddy's RAF Calculator supports CMS-HCC V28 PY2026 and shows no score unless every required source and calculation check passes.

Confirm whether the infection is in the femoral shaft, head, or neck for complete documentation. For M86.8X5, confirm that the documentation supports the diagnosis and meets the applicable coding, encounter, program and payer requirements. MEAT (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) is a review mnemonic, not a universal CMS coding rule. When documentation is ambiguous, coders should issue a provider query rather than assume the highest-specificity variant.

HCC Buddy maintains structured V28 and V24 mapping, source-labeled coefficient references, and MEAT documentation criteria for M86.8X5 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • Confirm whether the infection is in the femoral shaft, head, or neck for complete documentation
  • Ensure this is not acute or chronic osteomyelitis, which would use different code categories

Clinical Significance

Other osteomyelitis of the thigh indicates bone infection of the femur that doesn't conform to standard acute or chronic patterns. This condition affects the body's largest and strongest bone, potentially compromising weight-bearing capacity and mobility, requiring intensive treatment to prevent complications such as pathological fracture or septic arthritis of the hip or knee.

Documentation Requirements

  • Documentation of femur osteomyelitis diagnosis
  • Clinical rationale for 'other' versus acute or chronic classification
  • Specification of femur involvement and anatomical location
  • Comprehensive imaging studies demonstrating bone infection
  • Laboratory studies supporting infection diagnosis
  • Treatment plan including long-term antibiotic therapy
  • Assessment of weight-bearing status and mobility
  • Documentation of atypical features justifying 'other' designation

Commonly Confused Codes

  • M86.651: Chronic osteomyelitis of right femur has established chronicity
  • M86.151: Acute osteomyelitis of right femur represents acute presentation
  • M79.605: Pain in leg affects soft tissue, not bone
  • S72.9: Fracture of femur is traumatic injury rather than infection

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

M86.8X5 code history

Code setChange
FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026)Billability changed (now non-billable header) · all FY2027 changes

Source: official CMS ICD-10-CM order and addenda files, FY2016 through FY2027.

For M86.8X5, confirm that the documentation supports the diagnosis and meets the applicable coding, encounter, program and payer requirements. MEAT (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) is a review mnemonic, not a universal CMS coding rule.

M86.8X5 maps to CMS-HCC V28 category 92, Bone/Joint/Muscle/Severe Soft Tissue Infections/Necrosis. See the ICD-10 to HCC mapping hub for how the V28 crosswalk works. The mapping identifies a payment HCC category for M86.8X5. Review its source-labeled HCC coefficient above, check the RAF Calculator with complete member context for CMS-HCC V28 PY2026, and confirm the documentation the chart needs before the code is submitted. HCC Buddy shows no RAF score unless every required source and calculation check passes.

More on M86.8X5

Referenced in blog posts

Work M86.8X5 in HCC Buddy

Open M86.8X5 in the Code Book for the full Index-to-Tabular path, MEAT checklist, and V28 HCC mapping, or in the Encoder to code from a keyword search. Pro includes 7 days to try everything, no card required.