M53.25 ICD-10-CA code: Spinal instabilities, thoracolumbar region
M53.25 is the ICD-10-CA code for “Spinal instabilities, thoracolumbar region” in CIHI’s FY 2026–2027 release, in effect from Apr 1, 2026.
Official description
M53.25Spinal instabilities, thoracolumbar region
Short description: Spinal instabilities thoracolumbar
ICD-10-CA · Canada · Also written M5325
Notes for M53.25
As CIHI prints them, with any note M53.25 takes from the headings above it.
Excludes
Conditions classified elsewhere.
- Current injury - see injury of spine by body regiondiscitis NOS (M46.4)From M50-M54 Other dorsopathies
- Certain:• conditions originating in the perinatal period (P00-P96)• disorders of the temporomandibular joint (K07.6)• infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)compartment syndrome (T79.6)complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O99)congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E90)injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T98)neoplasms (C00-D48)symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99)From Chapter 13: Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99)
Note
- The following fifth characters represent the following sites of involvement:0 Multiple sites1 Shoulder region: clavical , scapula — joint acromioclavicular, glenohumeral, sternoclavicular2 Upper arm: humerus — elbow joint,3 Forearm: radius , ulna — wrist joint,4 Hand: carpus, fingers, metacarpus — joints between these bones,5 Pelvic region and thigh: buttock , femur , pelvis — joint hip , sacroiliac6 Lower leg: fibula , tibia — knee joint7 Ankle and foot: metatarsus, tarsus, toes — other joints in foot8 Other:head neck ribs skull trunk vertebral column9 Site unspecifiedFrom Chapter 13: Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99)
Where M53.25 sits
- 1ChapterChapter 13: Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99)
- 2Block M40-M54Dorsopathies
- 3Block M50-M54Other dorsopathies
- 4Category M53Other dorsopathies, not elsewhere classified
- 5Subcategory M53.2Spinal instabilities
- 6Valid code M53.25Spinal instabilities, thoracolumbar region
Source and release
- Data release
- ICD-10-CA · FY 2026–2027
- Effective date
- Apr 1, 2026
- Publisher
- CIHI
This page is built from the ICD-10-CA catalog that Vero Codes reads when it suggests codes: Canadian Institute for Health Information’s FY 2026–2027 release, imported from the publisher’s file and checked against it. The description, notes and structured data come from the same record.
Frequently asked questions
What does ICD-10-CA code M53.25 mean?
M53.25 is the ICD-10-CA code for “Spinal instabilities, thoracolumbar region” in CIHI’s ICD-10-CA FY 2026–2027 release.
Where is M53.25 in ICD-10-CA?
M53.25 sits under M53.2 Spinal instabilities, within M53 Other dorsopathies, not elsewhere classified, within M50-M54 Other dorsopathies, within M40-M54 Dorsopathies, within Chapter 13: Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99).
What coding notes apply to M53.25?
ICD-10-CA lists Excludes, Note notes for M53.25, including those from the headings it sits under. They are listed on this page with where each one comes from.
Which ICD-10-CA release does this page use?
It uses CIHI’s FY 2026–2027 release, in effect from Apr 1, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027. It is a reference: confirm the code against the current list and the payer’s rules before you submit it.
Codes beside M53.25
View M53.2M53.20Spinal instabilities, multiple sites in spineM53.21Spinal instabilities, occipito-atlanto-axial regionM53.22Spinal instabilities, cervical regionM53.23Spinal instabilities, cervicothoracic regionM53.24Spinal instabilities, thoracic regionM53.26Spinal instabilities, lumbar regionM53.27Spinal instabilities, lumbosacral regionM53.28Spinal instabilities, sacral and sacrococcygeal regionM53.29Spinal instabilities, unspecified site