Puncture wound with foreign body, unspecified knee, sequela

This code signifies a puncture wound of an unspecified knee that has resulted in a foreign body remaining in the tissue, and the current encounter is for the management of a late effect or complication of this initial injury. It indicates that the original injury occurred in the past, and the patient is now presenting with ongoing issues related to the retained foreign body.

Apply this code when a patient presents with a sequela (e.g., chronic pain, infection, restricted movement, granuloma formation) stemming from a previously sustained puncture wound to an unspecified knee, where a foreign body was left in situ. This code is appropriate for follow-up care or treatment of long-term complications directly attributable to the retained foreign material.

• Always use an external cause code (V00-Y99) to describe the circumstances of the original injury, if known.
• Do not use this code for acute puncture wounds; those require an acute injury code.
• Ensure documentation clearly links the current sequela to the retained foreign body from the past puncture wound.