M87.136
BillableOsteonecrosis due to drugs of unspecified ulna
HCC Category Mapping
V24HCC 39 — Bone/Joint/Muscle Infections/Necrosis
0.482ESRDHCC 39 — Bone/Joint/Muscle Infections/Necrosis
0.000RxHCCHCC 80 — Bone/Joint/Muscle Infections/Necrosis
0.000What This Code Means
Death of bone tissue in the ulna (forearm bone) caused by medication side effects when the specific side is not specified.
Coding Tips
- •Use only when laterality is truly unspecified; attempt to clarify with provider documentation
- •Consider that unspecified codes may have lower reimbursement rates than laterality-specific codes
Clinical Significance
Drug-induced osteonecrosis of unspecified ulna indicates medication-related bone death when the affected side cannot be determined from available documentation. Despite the laterality limitation, this diagnosis carries significant implications for forearm function and ongoing care requirements.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Documentation confirming ulna bone involvement in osteonecrosis
- ✓Specific causative medication or drug class identification
- ✓Radiological evidence supporting osteonecrosis diagnosis
- ✓Clinical symptoms and functional impact assessment
- ✓Explanation for why laterality cannot be determined
- ✓Drug exposure history with temporal relationship to symptoms
- ✓Current treatment approach and patient response
- ✓Provider confirmation of drug-induced etiology
Commonly Confused Codes
M87.134/M87.135 — Use specific laterality when right/left is documentedM87.133 — Unspecified radius affects different forearm boneM87.236 — Post-traumatic unspecified ulna requires injury historyM87.036 — Idiopathic osteonecrosis lacks drug causationM87.9 — Completely unspecified osteonecrosis lacks bone specificity
Code Hierarchy
└M87Osteonecrosis└M87.1Osteonecrosis due to drugs└M87.13Osteonecrosis due to drugs of radius, ulna and carpus└M87.136Osteonecrosis due to drugs of unspecified ulna
└M87.136Osteonecrosis due to drugs of unspecified ulna