In simple words: This code indicates a past history of problems related to muscles, bones, and connective tissues like tendons, ligaments, and cartilage.

Personal history of diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue. This code is used to document a past history of musculoskeletal and connective tissue diseases (M00-M99) that are no longer present but may still be relevant to the patient's current health status.It includes conditions affecting muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage.

Example 1: A patient presents for a routine check-up and reports a history of rheumatoid arthritis, which is now in remission. The physician would document Z87.3 to reflect this past diagnosis., A patient with a family history of osteoporosis comes in for a bone density scan. The physician can use Z87.3 along with the appropriate Z code for the encounter (e.g. Z13.820 Encounter for screening for osteoporosis)., A patient who previously suffered from a torn ligament in their knee, now fully healed, presents with an unrelated complaint. Z87.3 can be used to denote the past ligament injury.

Documentation should clearly indicate the past diagnosis of a musculoskeletal or connective tissue disease, the date of the diagnosis, and whether the condition is currently resolved, in remission, or under treatment elsewhere.If the patient is being seen for follow up after treatment, a Z09 code should be used instead.

** Excludes2: personal history of (healed) traumatic fracture (Z87.81). Code first any follow-up examination after treatment (Z09).