M99.31: Osseous stenosis of neural canal Cervical region

Changes to your vertebrae have caused a constriction in your vertebral canal in the cervical spine area.

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 vertebrae form the vertebral canal on the rear of the spinal column. The spinal cord runs in the vertebral canal. Nerve fibers run from the brain into the body via the spinal cord and form nerves there. Every nerve is responsible for a particular part of the skin and for certain muscles. These nerves are important for instance in enabling you to feel and move the muscles.

Changes to the vertebrae can have different causes. Wear and tear can cause the formation of bony outgrowths which constrict the vertebral canal. Injuries or surgery can also cause changes in the vertebrae which constrict the vertebral canal. When the vertebral canal is narrowed, the spinal cord can be damaged.

The narrowing of the spinal canal can cause pain or sensitivity disorders. This can affect your arms or chest, for example. For example, the skin in the affected areas may tingle or be numb. It may also be that you are no longer able to move certain muscles 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).