S53.439SRadial collateral ligament sprain of unspecified elbow, sequela

S53.439S is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for radial collateral ligament sprain of unspecified elbow, sequela. It belongs to category S53 (dislocation and sprain of joints and ligaments of elbow), block S50-S59 (injuries to the elbow and forearm) and chapter 19 (injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes). It is billable, so it can be reported on its own for dates of service from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

The 7th character "S" means sequela: use it for complications or conditions that arise as a direct result of the original condition.

It is not a CC or MCC, so as a secondary diagnosis it doesn't change the MS-DRG severity level.

In MS-DRG v44.0, it is part of the grouping logic for DRG 562 (Fracture, Sprain, Strain and Dislocation Except Femur, Hip, Pelvis and Thigh with MCC, relative weight 1.398) and DRG 563 (Fracture, Sprain, Strain and Dislocation Except Femur, Hip, Pelvis and Thigh without MCC, relative weight 0.8985), in MDC 08 (Diseases and Disorders of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue), as a principal or secondary diagnosis. The DRG a claim lands in depends on the principal diagnosis, procedures and any CC/MCC secondary diagnoses.

It is exempt from present-on-admission (POA) reporting, so no POA indicator is required.

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

Before ICD-10, this condition was coded in ICD-9-CM as 905.7 (late effect of sprain and strain without mention of tendon injury).