Bilateral post-traumatic osteoarthritis of knee

This code represents a degenerative joint disease affecting both knees that develops as a long-term consequence of a prior physical injury. It signifies chronic knee pain, stiffness, and functional impairment resulting from the breakdown of articular cartilage due to trauma.

Use this code when documentation clearly indicates osteoarthritis in both knees directly attributable to a past injury, such as a fracture, ligament tear, or meniscal damage. The patient's history should explicitly link the current osteoarthritic changes to a specific traumatic event.

• Ensure the documentation specifies "bilateral" involvement and a clear causal link to a previous trauma.
• Do not use for primary osteoarthritis or osteoarthritis secondary to other conditions like inflammatory arthritis.
• Consider sequencing this code after an acute injury code if the trauma is recent and the osteoarthritis is a developing complication.