Anterior cord syndrome at C5 level of cervical spinal cord

Not billableICD-10-CM diagnosis code.

This code exists but cannot be submitted on its own. It groups the more specific codes beneath it.

A category header for its whole life, FY2016 onwards. It has never been valid for submission on its own.

Submit one of these 3 more specific codes instead:

S14.135A Anterior cord syndrome at C5 level of cervical spinal cord, initial encounter
S14.135D Anterior cord syndrome at C5 level of cervical spinal cord, subsequent encounter
S14.135S Anterior cord syndrome at C5 level of cervical spinal cord, sequela

This code requires a seventh character. See the rule below.

What has happened to this code

Every change the publisher made, from 2014 to now. Entries marked draft are from the pre-implementation releases: ICD-10 took effect on 1 October 2015, so nothing before FY2016 was ever valid on a claim.

FY2014 Added to the draft code set draft Anterior cord syndrome at C5 level of cervical spinal cord

Official coding rules

Published by CDC for FY2027. A rule attached to a category binds every code beneath it, so the rules inherited from this code's ancestors are shown with the code they come from.

Inherited from S14 Injury of nerves and spinal cord at neck level

Seventh character required

The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S14

Code also

any associated:
fracture of cervical vertebra (S12.0--S12.6.-)
open wound of neck (S11.-)
transient paralysis (R29.5)

Note

Code to highest level of cervical cord injury

Inherited from the S10-S19 section Injuries to the neck (S10-S19)

Excludes2 - not included here

burns and corrosions (T20-T32)
effects of foreign body in esophagus (T18.1)
effects of foreign body in larynx (T17.3)
effects of foreign body in pharynx (T17.2)
effects of foreign body in trachea (T17.4)
frostbite (T33-T34)
insect bite or sting, venomous (T63.4)

Includes

injuries of nape
injuries of supraclavicular region
injuries of throat

How CDC's index refers to this code

Wording from the official alphabetic index. Much of it appears nowhere in the code description, which is why a search for the everyday phrase so often finds nothing.

Tetraplegia
Quadriparesis
Quadriplegia > traumatic -- code to injury with seventh character S > current episode
Injury > spinal > cervical > anterior cord syndrome > C5 level

Codes in the same group

Code	Description	Status
S14.131	Anterior cord syndrome at C1 level of cervical spinal cord	Not billable
S14.132	Anterior cord syndrome at C2 level of cervical spinal cord	Not billable
S14.133	Anterior cord syndrome at C3 level of cervical spinal cord	Not billable
S14.134	Anterior cord syndrome at C4 level of cervical spinal cord	Not billable
S14.136	Anterior cord syndrome at C6 level of cervical spinal cord	Not billable
S14.137	Anterior cord syndrome at C7 level of cervical spinal cord	Not billable
S14.138	Anterior cord syndrome at C8 level of cervical spinal cord	Not billable
S14.139	Anterior cord syndrome at unspecified level of cervical spinal cord	Not billable