M71.12: Other infective bursitis Upper arm

You have an inflamed bursa in your elbow or upper arm.

3 bones meet at the elbow. These are the humerus and the two bones in the forearm. These are called the ulna and the radius. In the elbow there are several joints between these 3 bones. This is how we are not only able to bend and stretch the arm, but also able to twist the forearm, for example when driving in a screw.

A bursa is a cushion of connective tissue filled with fluid. For example, there is a bursa beneath tendons or between bones and skin. The bursa prevents the tissue from rubbing together. A bursa also enables pressure to be distributed better.

Pathogens have inflamed one or more of your bursas.

An inflamed bursa can be painful. The affected area can swell up and turn red. It may be that the pain makes it harder to move the affected area of your body.

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).