Pathological fracture, left radius, sequela

This code signifies a pathological fracture of the left radius where the acute phase of the injury has passed, and the patient is now experiencing the long-term effects or complications of that fracture. A pathological fracture occurs due to a disease process weakening the bone, rather than from trauma that would break a healthy bone. The "sequela" indicates that this code is used for conditions resulting from the original fracture, such as malunion, nonunion, or chronic pain, after the initial healing period.

Use this code when documenting a patient presenting with a current condition or complication directly attributable to a previously healed or resolved pathological fracture of the left radius. This is appropriate when the patient is no longer in the active treatment phase for the acute fracture itself. Documentation should clearly state the pathological nature of the original fracture and the current sequela being addressed.

• Always sequence this code after the code describing the specific sequela (e.g., M89.0x for algodystrophy, M96.0 for nonunion, M96.1 for malunion).
• Do not use this code for an active, acute pathological fracture; use the appropriate acute pathological fracture code (e.g., M84.434A-M84.434P).
• Ensure the medical record explicitly states "pathological fracture" and identifies the left radius as the affected bone, along with the specific sequela.