Pathological fracture in oth disease, left hand, init for fx

This code signifies a bone fracture in the left hand that occurred due to an underlying disease process, rather than significant trauma. It indicates that the bone was weakened by a condition, making it susceptible to fracture from minimal or no force. This is the initial encounter for the treatment of this specific fracture.

Apply this code when documentation clearly states a pathological fracture of the left hand. This is appropriate for patients presenting for the first time for treatment of a fracture caused by conditions like osteoporosis, metastatic cancer, or other metabolic bone diseases. The medical record should specify the left hand and confirm the pathological nature of the fracture.

• Always code the underlying disease causing the pathological fracture first, followed by this code.
• Ensure documentation specifies "left hand" and "pathological fracture" to differentiate from traumatic fractures or fractures in other locations.
• Verify the encounter type; "A" indicates an initial encounter for active treatment of the fracture. Subsequent encounters will require different seventh characters.