M23.262 Derangement of other lateral meniscus due to old tear or injury, left knee

ICD-10-CM Code M23.262: Derangement of other lateral meniscus due to old tear or injury, left knee

ICD-10-CM code M23.262 represents a derangement of the other lateral meniscus due to an old tear or injury in the left knee. It is a billable and specific diagnosis code within the musculoskeletal system chapter. Payer policies list this diagnosis in relation to knee orthoses and knee braces, but the provided sources do not establish clinical symptoms or treatment protocols. 1 2 3

Plain-language overview

Code M23.262 identifies a condition involving a derangement of the other lateral meniscus due to an old tear or injury, specifically located in the left knee. This code is listed in the ICD-10-CM system under disorders of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue. 3

What this code represents

The code M23.262 is presented as a billable and specific code with no child codes. It falls under category M23 for internal derangement of the knee and the subcategory M23.26 for derangement of other lateral meniscus due to old tear or injury. 3 4

Coding details

The reference data for M23.262 lists no inclusion terms, no "code first" instruction, and no "use additional code" instruction. The code specifically denotes the left knee, distinguishing it from the corresponding right knee derangement code. 3

Documentation considerations

The official label for M23.262 explicitly specifies the left knee, the other lateral meniscus, and an old tear or injury. The provided sources do not detail the specific clinical documentation elements needed to support this diagnosis. 1 3

Coverage and utilization context

A Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services policy article for knee orthoses and a payer medical policy for knee braces both list M23.262. The provided source texts do not state whether this diagnosis code guarantees coverage or establishes medical necessity for these devices. 1 2

What the sources add

The CMS article lists M23.262 alongside the right knee code, while the Capital Blue Cross medical policy lists it among multiple unspecified and specified left and right knee meniscus derangement codes. These sources demonstrate the code's appearance in payer policy documents. 1 2

The Vero source provides the structural ICD-10-CM hierarchy and instructional notes for M23.262, whereas the Codigo source confirms its billable status. Both sources establish the official code description without providing clinical treatment guidelines. 3 4

Sources

1. Article - Knee Orthoses - Policy Article (A52465) — cms.gov; accessed 2026-07-25.
2. Medical policy: Knee Braces — capbluecross.com; accessed 2026-07-25.
3. ICD-10-CM Code M23.262 | Vero — veroscribe.com; accessed 2026-07-25.
4. Codigo. The #1 Billing Agency for Medical Practices — codigo.care; accessed 2026-07-25.