Injury of lateral plantar nerve, unspecified leg, sequela

This code signifies a long-term or late-effect condition resulting from a previous injury to the lateral plantar nerve in an unspecified leg. The lateral plantar nerve is a branch of the tibial nerve in the foot, supplying sensation to the sole and motor function to several intrinsic foot muscles. A sequela indicates that the acute injury has resolved, but residual symptoms or complications persist.

Use this code when documenting a patient presenting with ongoing pain, numbness, weakness, or other neurological deficits in the foot that are directly attributable to a past injury of the lateral plantar nerve. This applies when the original injury is no longer acute and the current encounter addresses the chronic consequences. Examples include persistent paresthesias or muscle atrophy following a remote crush injury or severe sprain affecting the nerve.

• Always use this code as a secondary diagnosis, following the code for the nature of the sequela (e.g., chronic pain, muscle weakness).
• Ensure documentation clearly links the current symptoms to a previous injury of the lateral plantar nerve, and that the acute phase of the injury has passed.
• If the specific leg (right or left) is known, a more specific code (S94.01XS or S94.02XS) should be used instead.