Osteomyelitis ICD-10-CM Codes

Read this short guide and learn about osteomyelitis ICD codes you can use.

By Chloe Smith on Aug 8, 2025.

What osteomyelitis ICD codes can I use?

There are numerous osteomyelitis ICD codes you can pick from. Just make sure you’re selecting one that’s specific to your patient. This is important because osteomyelitis can occur in different areas as it is an infection of the bone. Here are six examples of osteomyelitis ICD codes you can use:

M46.22 - Osteomyelitis of vertebra, cervical region

This ICD-10 code is meant to be used on a person confirmed to have osteomyelitis of the vertebra, and the specifical location of the infection is the cervical region.

M46.24 - Osteomyelitis of vertebra, thoracic region

This ICD-10 code is meant to be used on a person confirmed to have osteomyelitis of the vertebra, and the specific location of the infection is the thoracic region.

M46.26 - Osteomyelitis of vertebra, lumbar region

This ICD-10 code is meant to be used on a person confirmed to have osteomyelitis of the vertebra, and the specific location of the infection is the lumbar region.

A01.05 - Typhoid osteomyelitis

This ICD-10 code is meant to be used on a person confirmed to have osteomyelitis, and this osteomyelitis is the result of typhoid fever.

A02.24 - Salmonella osteomyelitis

This ICD-10 code is meant to be used on a person confirmed to have osteomyelitis, and this osteomyelitis is caused by salmonella. This is a rare occurrence, and it can result from typhoid, which is also caused by salmonella.

A54.43 - Gonococcal osteomyelitis

This ICD-10 code is meant to be used on a person confirmed to have osteomyelitis, and this osteomyelitis is caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacterium, which is transmitted through Gonorrhea, an STD.

Which of these osteomyelitis ICD codes are billable?

All of the osteomyelitis-related ICD-10 codes we listed above are valid and billable.

Clinical information about osteomyelitis:

As we mentioned earlier, osteomyelitis is an infection of the bone. Bacteria or fungi cause this infection, and what this type of infection does is that it causes bone marrows to swell, and when these bone marrows swell, it is painful.

Those who have osteomyelitis will have the following symptoms:

They lose their appetite
They will have fevers
They will sweat a lot
They will feel chills
They will feel nauseated and may vomit from time to time
They will have pain in their lower back
Their movement can be painful and limited
There will be pus in the affected area

Osteomyelitis must be treated as soon as possible because it can lead to complications such as stunted growth (for children), abscesses, and even bone death (blood flow to the bone is cut off; this may lead to the loss of whichever limb is affected).

Synonyms include:

Acute osteomyelitis of cervical spine
Acute osteomyelitis of vertebra
Acute osteomyelitis of thoracic spine
Acute osteomyelitis of lumbar spine
Bacterial osteomyelitis
Osteomyelitis caused by Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhi
Localized Salmonella infection
Salmonella osteomyelitis
Gonococcal osteomyelitis
Infection of musculoskeletal system caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Commonly asked questions

Yes. These codes are not specific with the locations of the osteomyelitis. An example of this would be M46.2 - Osteomyelitis of the vertebra. It doesn’t specify where in the vertebra. It’s best to use specific codes.

Professionals will conduct blood tests, bone scans, imaging tests, and/or biopsies.

That depends. If it’s not adverse, professionals can treat it using antibiotics, antifungals, draining fluid and pus from abscesses using a needle, and pain relievers. If it’s adverse, bone surgery might be performed.

EHR and practice management software

Get started for free

*No credit card required

Start for free

Free

$0/usd

Unlimited clients

Telehealth

1GB of storage

Client portal text