Pathological fracture in other disease, unsp femur, sequela

This code signifies a pathological fracture of an unspecified femur that has occurred due to an underlying disease process, not from normal trauma. The "S" seventh character indicates that this encounter is for the sequela, or late effects, of the fracture. This means the initial fracture has healed, but the patient is experiencing ongoing problems directly related to that past pathological fracture.

Use this code when a patient presents for treatment of a complication or late effect directly resulting from a previously healed pathological fracture of an unspecified femur. Documentation should clearly state the pathological nature of the original fracture, the specific femur involved (or lack thereof for "unspecified"), and that the current encounter addresses a sequela, such as malunion, nonunion, pain, or functional limitation.

• Ensure documentation explicitly links the current condition to a past pathological fracture of the femur.
• Do not use this code for the initial treatment of the fracture or for subsequent care during the active healing phase; those require different seventh characters.
• Always code the underlying disease causing the pathological fracture first, if known and still relevant to the sequela.