Pathological fracture in other disease, right ankle, sequela

This code signifies a pathological fracture of the right ankle that occurred due to an underlying disease process, and the patient is now experiencing a late effect or complication from that fracture. This is not for an acute fracture, but rather for the long-term consequences of a previously healed or resolving pathological fracture.

Apply this code when documentation indicates a patient is being treated for a sequela (e.g., malunion, nonunion, chronic pain, deformity, functional limitation) directly resulting from a pathological fracture of the right ankle that occurred in the past. The original pathological fracture must have been caused by a disease other than osteoporosis or neoplasm.

• Always sequence this sequela code after the code for the underlying disease that caused the pathological fracture.
• Do not use this code for acute pathological fractures; use the appropriate acute pathological fracture code (e.g., M84.471A-K) for initial or subsequent encounters.
• Ensure documentation clearly specifies "sequela" or a late effect of a pathological fracture, not a traumatic one, and identifies the right ankle as the affected site.