Pathological fracture, unspecified ankle, sequela

This code signifies a pathological fracture of an unspecified ankle that has resulted in a long-term complication or condition. A pathological fracture occurs due to a disease process weakening the bone, rather than from trauma. The "sequela" indicates that this code is used for residual effects or late complications of the original fracture.

Use this code when documenting a patient presenting with a current problem directly attributable to a previously healed or resolved pathological ankle fracture. This applies when the original fracture is no longer acute but has left a lasting impact, such as chronic pain, deformity, or functional limitation. Documentation should clearly link the current condition to the prior pathological fracture.

• This "S" code is always a secondary diagnosis, following a code describing the specific sequela (e.g., chronic pain, nonunion, malunion).
• Ensure documentation specifies "pathological" fracture; otherwise, a traumatic fracture code would be more appropriate.
• Avoid using this code for acute or active pathological fractures; those require codes from the initial encounter or subsequent encounter categories.