S40.251A Superficial foreign body of right shoulder, initial encounter

ICD-10-CM S40.251A: Superficial foreign body of right shoulder, initial encounter

ICD-10-CM code S40.251A identifies a superficial foreign body in the right shoulder during an initial encounter. The concept is classified as an injury or poisoning. A foreign body is something stuck inside the body that is not supposed to be there, and this code is used for active patient records. 1 4

Plain-language overview

A foreign body is something that is stuck inside a person but is not supposed to be there, and individuals may acquire one from an injury to almost any part of the body. 4

What this code represents

The official label for S40.251A is superficial foreign body of right shoulder, initial encounter, and the terminology record assigns this diagnosis a semantic type of injury or poisoning. 1

Coding details

Within the ICD-10-CM hierarchy, S40.251A is a narrower concept under the parent code S40.251, which denotes a superficial foreign body of the right shoulder. 1

The terminology record for S40.251A indicates an active status and lists an alternative published abbreviation as superficial foreign body of right shoulder, init encntr. 1

Documentation considerations

Clinical documentation for a retained shoulder foreign body may include right shoulder scapular-Y radiographs and axial computed tomography sequences demonstrating the object's location. 2

Clinical context

Retrieval of extra-articular bullets and metallic fragments retained in the shoulder is recommended due to potential chondrolysis, mechanical abrasion from third-body wear, and irritation of adjacent anatomic structures. 2

What the sources add

While the terminology record defines S40.251A as an active injury concept, a clinical article describes operational removal techniques for retained shoulder foreign bodies, and a Medicare article lists the code for billing context. 1 2 3

Comparing the sources, the terminology record provides the official code hierarchy, whereas the clinical article details surgical approaches like the lateral decubitus position for removing objects from the quadrilateral space. 1 2

Sources

1. ICD-10-CM S40.251A terminology record — National Cancer Institute Enterprise Vocabulary Services; accessed 2026-07-27.
2. Arthroscopic Removal of Extra-Articular Foreign Bodies From the Shoulder: Inside-Out Technique — pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
3. Article - Billing and Coding: Immune Globulins (A57554) — cms.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
4. S40.251D — Superficial foreign body of right shoulder, subsequent encounter | ICD-10 Code · Eleplan — eleplan.com; accessed 2026-07-27.