M48.17: Ankylosing hyperostosis [Forestier] Lumbosacral region

Bony deposits have formed in your spine at the junction between your lumbar spine and your sacrum.

The spine consists of several sections. The cervical spine begins below the head. The cervical spine is very mobile. Below that is the thoracic spine. The ribs are attached to the thoracic spine. Below the thoracic spine is the lumbar spine. The lumbar spine is also very mobile and it bears a large part of the body’s weight. After the lumbar spine, the sacrum and coccyx join. The ligaments stabilize the spine.

This condition causes ligaments in the spine to ossify, and broad bony deposits form. It can cause adjacent vertebrae to fuse together. When adjacent vertebrae are fused, the spine can stiffen up.

The exact cause of this condition is not yet known. However, the bony deposits can occur if you have a lot of sugar or fats in your blood over a long period of time.

The bony deposits can cause back, buttock and leg pain. You may no longer be able to move your back properly.

Additional indicator

On medical documents, the ICD code is often appended by letters that indicate the diagnostic certainty or the affected side of the body.

  • G: Confirmed diagnosis
  • V: Tentative diagnosis
  • Z: Condition after
  • A: Excluded diagnosis
  • L: Left
  • R: Right
  • B: Both sides

Further information

Note

This information is not intended for self-diagnosis and does not replace professional medical advice from a doctor. If you find an ICD code on a personal medical document, please also note the additional indicator used for diagnostic confidence.
Your doctor will assist you with any health-related questions and explain the ICD diagnosis code to you in a direct consultation if necessary.

Source

Provided by the non-profit organization “Was hab’ ich?” gemeinnützige GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG).