M86.52 Other chronic hematogenous osteomyelitis, humerus

ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code M86.52: Other Chronic Hematogenous Osteomyelitis, Humerus

ICD-10-CM code M86.52 identifies other chronic hematogenous osteomyelitis of the humerus. This active diagnosis concept is a narrower descendant of parent code M86.5. Osteomyelitis is a bone infection, and chronic forms are defined by necrotic bone rather than illness duration. Hematogenous spread occurs when bacteria seed bone from a distant source. 1 2

Plain-language overview

Osteomyelitis is a bone infection, and the chronic form is identified by necrotic bone rather than the duration of illness, while hematogenous spread involves bacteremic seeding from a distant source. 2

What this code represents

The active diagnosis code M86.52 represents the disease or syndrome of other chronic hematogenous osteomyelitis located in the humerus, and it has no narrower terminology concepts. 1

Code M86.52 is a direct child of the parent concept M86.5, which is the broader category for other chronic hematogenous osteomyelitis in the ICD-10-CM terminology. 1

Coding details

The M86.52 code tree expands into more specific laterality codes, including M86.521 for the right humerus, M86.522 for the left humerus, and M86.529 for an unspecified humerus. 4

The code hierarchy places M86.52 alongside other specific anatomical sites within the M86.5 category, such as M86.51 for the shoulder, M86.53, M86.54 for the hand, and M86.55 for the femur. 4 5

Documentation considerations

Clinical sources establish that the hallmark histopathological finding in chronic osteomyelitis is necrotic bone, and the categorization as acute or chronic relies on these histopathological findings. 2

Coverage and utilization context

The more specific left humerus code M86.522 maps to Bone/Joint/Muscle Infections/Necrosis under CMS-HCC risk adjustment models, with a community non-dual aged RAF of 0.479. 3

What the sources add

While the terminology record defines M86.52 as an active concept, the related left humerus code M86.522 lists no inclusion, exclusion, or sequencing instructions for the current effective period. 1 3

Sources

1. ICD-10-CM M86.52 terminology record — National Cancer Institute Enterprise Vocabulary Services; accessed 2026-07-27.
2. Bookshelf — ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
3. 2026 ICD-10-CM M86.522: Other chronic hematogenous | HCC 92 — hccbuddy.com; accessed 2026-07-27.
4. ICD-10-CM 2024 | M86 - Osteomyelitis — unboundmedicine.com; accessed 2026-07-27.
5. Codigo. The #1 Billing Agency for Medical Practices — codigo.care; accessed 2026-07-27.