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ICD-10-CM 2027

ICD-10 code for head injury

S09.90

Unspecified injury of head

Header — needs a more specific code

From the official ICD-10-CM alphabetic index entry “Injury › head”. Page updated September 29, 2026.

About coding head injury

The ICD-10-CM code for head injury is S09.90 (Unspecified injury of head). The official index lists 2 more specific codes, so check the documentation for details such as type, cause, site or severity before settling on S09.90.

Within S09.9 (unspecified injury of face and head), S09.90 is specifically for unspecified injury of head. Related codes cover ear (S09.91), nose (S09.92) and face (S09.93).

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.

Don't report S09.90 together with the conditions in its Excludes1 note: brain injury NOS (S06.9-), head injury NOS with loss of consciousness (S06.9-) and intracranial injury NOS (S06.9-).

More specific head injury codes (official index)

  • with loss of consciousness S06.9 — Unspecified intracranial injury
  • specified NEC S09.8 — Other specified injuries of head

Don't confuse with (Excludes1 for S09.90)

  • brain injury NOS (S06.9-)
  • head injury NOS with loss of consciousness (S06.9-)
  • intracranial injury NOS (S06.9-)

Common questions about head injury ICD-10 codes

What is the ICD-10 code for head injury?

S09.90 — Unspecified injury of head (a header code; report a more specific subcode). More specific codes apply when the documentation supports them: S06.9, S09.8.

Is S09.90 billable?

No. S09.90 is a header code. Report one of its more specific subcodes instead.