Pathological fracture, l shoulder, subs for fx w delay heal

This code signifies a fracture of the left shoulder that occurred due to a pre-existing disease process, not from trauma. The patient is in a phase of treatment where the fracture is not healing at the expected rate. This indicates ongoing management for the delayed union of the pathological fracture.

Apply this code when a patient presents for follow-up care of a left shoulder fracture that was caused by an underlying condition (e.g., osteoporosis, tumor), and the physician's documentation explicitly states "delayed healing" or "delayed union." This code is appropriate for subsequent encounters after the initial treatment of the fracture.

• Ensure documentation clearly specifies "pathological fracture" and "delayed healing" for the left shoulder.
• This "G" seventh character indicates subsequent encounter for fracture with delayed healing; do not confuse with "A" (initial encounter) or "K" (nonunion).
• Always code the underlying disease causing the pathological fracture first, followed by this fracture code.