ICD-10 Guide

Tear Of The Acl

ICD-10 Coding for Tear of the ACL(S83.511A, S83.512A)

PRIMARY SPECIALTYOrthopedics

COMPLEXITYHigh

LAST UPDATED09/15/2025

Sam Tuffun, PT, DPT

Physical Therapist | Medical Coding & Billing Contributor

Diagnosis Overview

What is Tear Of The Acl?

Essential facts and insights about Tear of the ACL

Key Clinical Considerations:

Knee pain and swelling
Positive Lachman test or anterior drawer test
Limited range of motion and instability during physical examination

Clinical Information

Clinical Criteria & Documentation Requirements

Patient history of knee injury or trauma
Detailed description of physical exam findings
Imaging results (MRI or X-ray) indicating ACL tear

Coding Guidelines

Usage Guidelines & Examples

Use S83.511A for right knee and S83.512A for left knee.
Common errors include using unspecified codes or incorrect laterality.

Code Exclusions

Important Exclusions

Meniscus tears (S83.2)
Other ligament injuries (S83.5)

Specialty Focus

Primary Specialty

Orthopedics

Specialty Applications

Athletes and active individuals
Emergency departments and orthopedic clinics

Coding Complexity

High Complexity

This diagnosis requires careful attention to:

Comprehensive clinical documentation
Accurate code selection based on clinical criteria
Proper exclusion considerations
Specialty-specific coding guidelines

Documentation

Documentation Templates

Billing Information

Billing Considerations

Ensure proper documentation for billing
Verify code specificity requirements
Check for any additional codes needed
Review payer-specific guidelines

Common Issues

Insufficient clinical documentation
Incorrect code selection
Missing supporting diagnoses
Timing and frequency documentation

Frequently Asked Questions

Documentation requirements?

Include mechanism of injury, symptoms, and imaging results.

Billing considerations?

Ensure accurate coding for initial encounter and any follow-up visits.

Tear Of The Acl

Diagnosis Overview

Key Clinical Considerations:

Clinical Information

Clinical Criteria & Documentation Requirements

Coding Guidelines

Usage Guidelines & Examples

Code Exclusions

Important Exclusions

Related ICD-10 Codes

Related CPT Codes

Specialty Focus

Primary Specialty

Specialty Applications

Coding Complexity

Documentation

Documentation Templates

Billing Information

Billing Considerations

Common Issues

Frequently Asked Questions

Documentation requirements?

Billing considerations?

Tear Of The Acl

Diagnosis Overview

Key Clinical Considerations:

Clinical Information

Clinical Criteria & Documentation Requirements

Coding Guidelines

Usage Guidelines & Examples

Code Exclusions

Important Exclusions

Related ICD-10 Codes

Related CPT Codes

Specialty Focus

Primary Specialty

Specialty Applications

Coding Complexity

Documentation

Documentation Templates

Billing Information

Billing Considerations

Common Issues

Frequently Asked Questions

Documentation requirements?

Billing considerations?