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Dx

ICD-10-CM 2027 diagnosis code

S15.11Minor laceration of vertebral artery

Not billable — use a more specific codeRequires 7th character

S15.11 is a header code, so it can't be reported by itself. Choose one of the 3 more specific codes beneath it and add the required 7th character.

Code unchanged since ICD-10-CM took effect on October 1, 2015. Source: official FY2027 ICD-10-CM release from CDC/NCHS and CMS. Page updated September 29, 2026. About our data

About S15.11

S15.11 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for minor laceration of vertebral artery. It belongs to category S15 (injury of blood vessels at neck level), block S10-S19 (injuries to the neck) and chapter 19 (injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes). It is a header code, so it can't be reported by itself; one of its 3 subcodes must be used instead.

Within S15.1 (injury of vertebral artery), S15.11 is specifically for minor laceration of vertebral artery. Related codes cover unspecified injury of vertebral artery (S15.10), major laceration of vertebral artery (S15.12) and other specified injury of vertebral artery (S15.19).

Codes in this range require a 7th character: A for initial encounter, D for subsequent encounter and S for sequela. Use placeholder "X" characters to fill any empty positions before the 7th character.

It has been part of ICD-10-CM since the code set took effect on October 1, 2015 and hasn't changed since.

7th character

The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S15

  • Ainitial encounter
  • Dsubsequent encounter
  • Ssequela

Coding notes

Applicable toConditions and synonyms classified to this code
  • Incomplete transection of vertebral artery
  • Laceration of vertebral artery NOS
  • Superficial laceration of vertebral artery

Notes that apply from higher levels

Instructions written at a parent level also apply to S15.11.

› From S15 Injury of blood vessels at neck level
Code also
  • any associated open wound (S11.-)

Broader instructions also apply from S10-S19 Injuries to the neck and Chapter 19: Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes.

Alphabetic index entries

1 entries

Terms in the official ICD-10-CM index that lead to S15.11.

Code history

  1. 2016
  2. 2017
  3. 2018
  4. 2019
  5. 2020
  6. 2021
  7. 2022
  8. 2023
  9. 2024
  10. 2025
  11. 2026
  12. 2027
  • FY2016 (effective 10/1/2015): Added (first year of ICD-10-CM)
  • No changes since FY2016.

Common questions about S15.11

Is S15.11 billable?

No. S15.11 is a header code. Report one of its more specific subcodes instead.