Fatigue fracture of vertebra, thoracic region, init for fx

This code signifies a stress fracture occurring in a thoracic vertebra, resulting from repetitive or sustained mechanical stress rather than a single traumatic event. It indicates the patient is receiving initial active treatment for this specific fracture.

Apply this code for patients presenting with a newly diagnosed fatigue fracture in the thoracic spine. Documentation should clearly specify the fracture as a stress or fatigue type and indicate that the current encounter is for the initial treatment phase.

• Ensure documentation differentiates between a pathological fracture (e.g., due to osteoporosis) and a fatigue fracture.
• Verify the anatomical site is specifically the thoracic region.
• The "XA" seventh character denotes the initial encounter for active treatment; subsequent encounters will require different seventh characters.