Crushing injury of multiple sites of lower limb

This code signifies a severe traumatic injury resulting from compression or crushing forces affecting multiple distinct anatomical areas within the lower extremities. It indicates damage to tissues such as muscle, bone, nerves, and blood vessels across various sites of the leg, ankle, or foot.

Apply this code when documentation clearly specifies a crushing mechanism of injury impacting more than one region of the lower limb, such as the thigh and lower leg, or the ankle and foot. Supporting documentation should detail the mechanism, the specific sites involved, and the nature of the tissue damage.

• Ensure documentation explicitly states "multiple sites" within the lower limb; otherwise, a more specific code for a single site may be appropriate.
• Always code the specific type of open wound (e.g., laceration, avulsion) if present, in addition to the crushing injury.
• Consider external cause codes (E-codes) to describe the circumstances of the injury.