Post-traumatic osteoarthritis, other specified site

This diagnosis code signifies degenerative joint disease that develops as a direct consequence of a prior injury to a joint, affecting a site other than those specifically classified elsewhere. It represents the long-term sequelae of trauma leading to cartilage breakdown and joint pain.

Apply this code when documentation clearly links osteoarthritis to a previous injury, and the affected joint is not the hand, wrist, foot, ankle, or other specified sites. The medical record should explicitly state "post-traumatic osteoarthritis" and specify the affected joint (e.g., shoulder, elbow, hip, knee) if not otherwise specified.

• Always ensure the documentation explicitly states a causal link between trauma and the osteoarthritis.
• Do not use this code for primary osteoarthritis or osteoarthritis due to other causes (e.g., inflammatory, infectious).
• Specify the exact joint involved with an additional site-specific code if available and not covered by a more specific post-traumatic osteoarthritis code.