Nondisp comminuted fracture of shaft of unsp femur, sequela

This code describes a past injury involving a comminuted fracture (meaning the bone was broken into multiple pieces) of the main shaft of the femur, where the bone fragments remained in their normal anatomical alignment. The "sequela" designation indicates that this code is used to report a condition or complication that is a residual effect of that previous fracture, rather than the acute injury itself.

This code is appropriate when a patient presents with a long-term complication or chronic condition directly resulting from a previously sustained, nondisplaced comminuted fracture of the femoral shaft. Examples include chronic pain, malunion, nonunion, or functional limitations that are a direct consequence of the healed or healing fracture. It should be used after the initial acute phase of treatment for the fracture has concluded.

• Always assign an additional code to specify the nature of the sequela (e.g., chronic pain, malunion).
• Ensure documentation clearly links the current condition to the previous femoral shaft fracture.
• Do not use this code for the initial treatment of an acute fracture; use the appropriate acute fracture code.