Pathological fracture in other disease, left ankle, sequela

This code signifies a pathological fracture of the left ankle that occurred due to an underlying disease process, and the patient is now experiencing a complication or residual effect from that fracture. This indicates that the initial fracture event has healed, but the patient continues to have ongoing issues directly attributable to the previous fracture.

Use this code when documentation clearly indicates a healed pathological fracture of the left ankle, and the patient is being treated for a long-term complication or sequela of that fracture. Examples include chronic pain, malunion, nonunion, or functional limitations directly resulting from the past fracture. The medical record must specify "sequela" or describe a condition that is a direct consequence of the healed fracture.

• Requires a seventh character "S" to denote sequela, indicating a complication or residual effect of a healed injury.
• Do not use for initial encounters or subsequent encounters for active fracture treatment; those require different seventh characters.
• Always code the underlying disease causing the pathological fracture first, if known and still relevant to the current encounter.