M06.072 Rheumatoid arthritis without rheumatoid factor, left ankle and foot

ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code M06.072: Rheumatoid arthritis without rheumatoid factor, left ankle and foot

ICD-10-CM code M06.072 identifies rheumatoid arthritis without rheumatoid factor affecting the left ankle and foot. The terminology is active and classified as a disease or syndrome. Foot impairments in rheumatoid arthritis lead to progressive deterioration of lower limb function, and this specific code distinguishes the left side from right or unspecified ankle and foot presentations. 1 2 5

Plain-language overview

Code M06.072 represents rheumatoid arthritis without rheumatoid factor localized to the left ankle and foot, providing specific diagnostic terminology for this condition. 1

Rheumatoid arthritis affects approximately 645,000 people in the UK, and most individuals with this condition will experience foot and mobility problems during its course. 2

What this code represents

M06.072 is an active ICD-10-CM terminology concept with the semantic type of disease or syndrome, and its parent concept is M06.07 for ankle and foot involvement. 1

The code M06.072 specifically denotes left ankle and foot involvement, distinguishing it from M06.071 for the right side and M06.079 for unspecified ankle and foot presentations. 5

Coding details

M06.072 appears within a broader ICD-10-CM category that includes left-sided joint specifications such as left shoulder, knee, hip, elbow, hand, and wrist for rheumatoid arthritis without rheumatoid factor. 5

The published abbreviation for M06.072 is rheumatoid arthritis w/o rheumatoid factor, left ank/ft, and the concept has narrower child concepts within the terminology. 1

Documentation considerations

The terminology record for M06.072 defines the diagnostic concept as rheumatoid arthritis without rheumatoid factor localized to the left ankle and foot, establishing the specific clinical elements named in the code. 1 5

What the sources add

While terminology records define M06.072 as a diagnostic concept, a Medicare billing article includes it within molecular biomarker testing context, illustrating how the code appears in coverage-related documentation. 1 4

Clinical research literature establishes that foot impairments in early rheumatoid arthritis lead to progressive deterioration of lower limb function, providing clinical context for this diagnosis. 2

Sources

1. ICD-10-CM M06.072 terminology record — National Cancer Institute Enterprise Vocabulary Services; accessed 2026-07-27.
2. Gait rehabilitation for foot and ankle impairments in early rheumatoid arthritis: a feasibility study of a new gait rehabilitation programme (GREAT Strides) — pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
3. EVS Explore — evsexplore.semantics.cancer.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
4. Article - Billing and Coding: MolDX: Molecular Biomarker Testing to Guide Targeted Therapy Selection in Rheumatoid Arthritis (A59522) — cms.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
5. ICD-10-CM 2024 | M06.0 - Rheumatoid arthritis without rheumatoid factor — unboundmedicine.com; accessed 2026-07-27.
6. Rheumatology ICD 10 Codes - Rheumatology Advisor — rheumatologyadvisor.com; accessed 2026-07-27.