S50-S59 ICD-10-CA block: Injuries to the elbow and forearm
S50-S59 isn’t a code on its own. Choose one of the 119 codes beneath it, the one the documentation supports.
Official description
S50-S59Injuries to the elbow and forearm (S50-S59)
ICD-10-CA · Canada
Codes in S50-S59
S50-S59 isn’t a code on its own. Open the group that matches what the note documents.
S50Superficial injury of forearm (5 codes)S51Open wound of forearm (8 codes)S52Fracture of forearm (40 codes)S53Dislocation, sprain and strain of joints and ligaments of elbow (21 codes)S54Injury of nerves at forearm level (14 codes)S55Injury of blood vessels at forearm level (6 codes)S56Injury of muscle and tendon at forearm level (16 codes)S57Crushing injury of forearm (3 codes)S58Traumatic amputation of forearm (3 codes)S59Other and unspecified injuries of forearm (3 codes)Notes for S50-S59
As CIHI prints them, with any note S50-S59 takes from the headings above it.
Excludes
Conditions classified elsewhere.
- Bilateral involvement of elbow and forearm (T00-T07)burns and corrosions (T20-T32)frostbite (T33-T35)injuries of:• arm, level unspecified (T10-T11)• wrist and hand (S60-S69)insect bite or sting, venomous (T63.4)
- Birth trauma (P10-P15)obstetric trauma (O70-O71)From Chapter 19: Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T98)
Note
- The chapter uses the S-section for coding different types of injuries related to single body regions and the T-section to cover injuries to multiple or unspecified body regions as well as poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes.Where multiple sites of injury are specified in the titles, the word "with" indicates involvement of both sites, and the word "and" indicates involvement of either or both sites.The principle of multiple coding of injuries should be followed wherever possible.Combination categories for multiple injuries is provided for use when there are insufficient detail as to the nature of the individual conditions, or for primary tabulation purposes when it is more convenient to record single code; otherwise, the component injuries should be coded separately.Reference should also be made to the coding rules and guidelines.The blocks of the S-section as well as (T00-T14 and T90-T98) contain injuries at the three-character level classified by type as follows:Superficial injury including:abrasionblister (nonthermal)contusion, including bruise and haematomainjury from superficial foreign body (splinter) without major open woundinsect bite (nonvenomous)Open wound including:animal bitecutlacerationpuncture wound:• NOS• with (penetrating) foreign bodyFracture including:Fracture:closed: comminuted, depressed, elevated, fissured, greenstick, impacted, linear, simple, slipped epiphysis, spiral — with or without delayed healingdislocateddisplacedFracture:open: compound, infected, missile, puncture, with foreign body — with or without delayed healingExcludes:malunion of fracture (M84.0)nonunion of fracture [pseudoarthrosis] (M84.1)pathological fracture (M84.4):• with osteoporosis (M80.-)stress fracture (M84.3)Dislocation, sprain and strain including:avulsion, laceration, sprain, strain, traumatic: haemarthosis, rupture, subluxation, tear of cartilage, joint (capsule), ligamentInjury to nerves and spinal cord including:complete or incomplete lesion of spinal cordlesion incontinuity of nerves and spinal cordtraumatic:• division of nerve• haematomyelia• paralysis (transient)• paraplegia• quadriplegiaInjury to blood vessels includingavulsion, cut, laceration, traumatic: aneurysm or fistula (arteriovenous), arterial haematoma, rupture of blood vesselsInjury of muscle, fascia and tendon including:avulsion, cut, laceration, strain, traumatic rupture of muscle, fascia and tendonCrushing InjuryTraumatic amputationInjury to internal organs including:blast injuries, bruise, concussion injuries, crushing, laceration, traumatic: haematoma, puncture, rupture, tear of internal organsOther and unspecified injuriesFrom Chapter 19: Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T98)
Where S50-S59 sits
- 1ChapterChapter 19: Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T98)
- 2Block S50-S59Injuries to the elbow and forearm
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
Is S50-S59 a valid ICD-10-CA code?
No. S50-S59 (Injuries to the elbow and forearm) is a block heading in CIHI’s ICD-10-CA FY 2026–2027 release. It holds 119 codes; record the one the documentation supports.
Where is S50-S59 in ICD-10-CA?
S50-S59 sits under Chapter 19: Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T98).
What coding notes apply to S50-S59?
ICD-10-CA lists Excludes, Note notes for S50-S59, 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 S50-S59
S00-S09Injuries to the headS10-S19Injuries to the neckS20-S29Injuries to the thoraxS30-S39Injuries to the abdomen, lower back, lumbar spine and pelvisS40-S49Injuries to the shoulder and upper armS60-S69Injuries to the wrist and handS70-S79Injuries to the hip and thighS80-S89Injuries to the knee and lower legS90-S99Injuries to the ankle and footT00-T07Injuries involving multiple body regionsT08-T14Injuries to unspecified parts of trunk, limb or body regionT15-T19Effects of foreign body entering through natural orificeT20-T32Burns and corrosionsT33-T35FrostbiteT36-T50Poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substancesT51-T65Toxic effects of substances chiefly nonmedicinal as to sourceT66-T78Other and unspecified effects of external causesT79-T79Certain early complications of trauma (T79)T80-T88Complications of surgical and medical care, not elsewhere classifiedT90-T98Sequelae of injuries, of poisoning and of other consequences of external causes