Pathological fracture, unsp femur, init encntr for fracture

This code signifies a fracture of an unspecified femur that occurred due to an underlying disease process, rather than trauma. It indicates that the bone was weakened by a condition such as osteoporosis, metastatic cancer, or a benign tumor, leading to the fracture. This specific code is for the initial treatment of the fracture.

Use this code when documentation clearly states a pathological fracture of the femur, without specifying left or right, and the patient is receiving active treatment for the fracture. This includes initial surgical repair, casting, or other definitive management. Documentation should explicitly link the fracture to an underlying medical condition.

• Ensure the documentation specifies "pathological" and not a traumatic fracture.
• Verify that the encounter is for the initial treatment of the fracture; subsequent encounters will require different seventh characters.
• Always code the underlying disease causing the pathological fracture first, followed by this code.