Post-traumatic osteoarthritis, unspecified hand

This diagnosis code signifies degenerative joint disease in an unspecified hand that has developed as a direct consequence of a previous injury or trauma to that hand. It describes chronic joint pain, stiffness, and functional impairment resulting from the post-traumatic arthritic changes.

Use this code when documentation explicitly states "post-traumatic osteoarthritis" affecting the hand, and the specific hand (right or left) is not specified. Supporting documentation should include a history of trauma to the hand, radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis, and a clear link between the injury and the subsequent arthritic changes.

• Ensure the documentation clearly links the osteoarthritis to a prior trauma; otherwise, a primary osteoarthritis code may be more appropriate.
• Avoid using this code if the laterality (right or left hand) is specified in the medical record; instead, select the more specific code.
• Consider sequencing this code after an acute injury code if the trauma is recent and the osteoarthritis is a developing complication.