Displaced spiral fracture of shaft of unsp femur, sequela

This code signifies a past injury involving a spiral fracture of the shaft of the femur, where the bone fragments were not properly aligned. The "sequela" designation indicates that this code is used to report a condition or complication that arises as a direct result of the initial fracture, even after the acute phase of healing has passed.

Apply this code when documenting long-term effects, complications, or residual problems stemming from a previously displaced spiral fracture of the femoral shaft. This includes scenarios like chronic pain, malunion, nonunion, limb length discrepancy, or functional limitations directly attributable to the old injury. It should be used in conjunction with a code describing the specific sequela.

• Always assign an additional code to specify the nature of the sequela (e.g., M84.4x for malunion, M96.0 for nonunion, or a pain code).
• Ensure documentation clearly links the current condition to the old displaced spiral femoral shaft fracture.
• Do not use this code for the initial acute fracture or for follow-up care during the active healing phase.