Displacement of cervical intervertebral disc without myelopathy

This code signifies a condition where an intervertebral disc in the neck region has shifted from its normal position, but without causing any compression or damage to the spinal cord itself. It describes a localized disc issue in the cervical spine that is not yet impacting neurological function beyond potential radicular symptoms.

Apply this code when documentation clearly indicates a cervical disc displacement, herniation, or protrusion, and explicitly states the absence of myelopathy. This is appropriate for patients presenting with neck pain, radiculopathy, or other symptoms attributable to the disc displacement, where neurological examination and imaging confirm no spinal cord involvement.

• Ensure documentation explicitly negates myelopathy; otherwise, a different code for disc displacement with myelopathy would be more appropriate.
• Always look for laterality (left, right, bilateral) if specified, though this particular ICD-9 code does not allow for it.
• Consider sequencing this code after codes for symptoms like cervicalgia or radiculopathy if they are the primary reason for the encounter.