Fatigue fracture of vertebra, lumbosacral region, init

This code signifies a stress fracture of a vertebral body within the lumbar or sacral spine, resulting from repetitive microtrauma rather than a single acute injury. It indicates the initial phase of treatment for this specific type of fracture.

Apply this code for patients presenting with a newly diagnosed fatigue fracture in the lumbosacral region. Documentation should clearly state "fatigue fracture," "stress fracture," or "insufficiency fracture" of a lumbar or sacral vertebra, and confirm that this is the first time the patient is being treated for this specific fracture.

• Differentiate from traumatic vertebral fractures (S32.0xxA series) which result from acute injury.
• Ensure documentation specifies "fatigue" or "stress" fracture; otherwise, an unspecified vertebral fracture code may be more appropriate.
• Confirm the encounter is for the initial treatment of the fracture; subsequent encounters will require different seventh characters.