S34.119A Complete lesion of unspecified level of lumbar spinal cord, initial encounter

ICD-10-CM S34.119A: Complete lesion of unspecified level of lumbar spinal cord, initial encounter

ICD-10-CM code S34.119A identifies an initial encounter for a complete lesion of the lumbar spinal cord at an unspecified level. The terminology record classifies this concept as an injury or poisoning. General clinical sources establish that a complete spinal cord injury involves an inability to send signals below the injury level. 1 3 5

Plain-language overview

A complete spinal cord injury means the spinal cord cannot send signals below the level of the injury, distinguishing it from incomplete injuries where some signaling capacity remains intact. 3

Clinical guidelines define a complete spinal cord injury as having no sensory or motor sparing in the sacral segments S4-5, representing a total loss of function below the lesion. 2

What this code represents

The official display label for S34.119A is complete lesion of unspecified level of lumbar spinal cord, initial encounter, and the terminology record assigns it the semantic type of injury or poisoning. 1 5

Code S34.119A is a child concept of S34.119, which is the broader parent code for a complete lesion of unspecified level of lumbar spinal cord, and the target code has narrower concepts within the terminology. 1

Coding details

Code S34.119A differs from S34.121A, which specifically identifies an incomplete lesion of the L1 level of lumbar spinal cord during an initial encounter. 4

Documentation considerations

Clinical evaluation of spinal cord injury grades utilizes the ASIA Impairment Scale, where Grade A corresponds to a complete neurological injury with no preserved sensory or motor function in sacral segments S4-5. 2

What the sources add

While the terminology record provides the official code hierarchy and semantic type for S34.119A, the clinical guideline adds operational context by defining the strict neurological criteria used to classify a spinal cord injury as complete. 1 2

Sources

1. ICD-10-CM S34.119A terminology record — National Cancer Institute Enterprise Vocabulary Services; accessed 2026-07-27.
2. A Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Acute Spinal Cord Injury: Introduction, Rationale, and Scope — pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
3. Spinal Cord Injury | MedlinePlus — medlineplus.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
4. Head and Spinal Cord ICD-10 Inclusion Codes — dph.illinois.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
5. EVS Explore — evsexplore.semantics.cancer.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.