Type III occipital condyle fracture, unspecified side, 7thD

This code signifies a Type III fracture of the occipital condyle, which involves an avulsion fracture from the basion, typically due to rotational or lateral bending forces. The fracture is located on an unspecified side of the skull base. This specific encounter indicates the patient is in the subsequent phase of treatment, and the fracture is healing routinely without complications.

Use this code for follow-up encounters when a patient with a previously diagnosed Type III occipital condyle fracture is receiving ongoing care and the fracture is progressing as expected. Documentation should clearly state "subsequent encounter" and indicate "routine healing" or similar positive progress in the fracture consolidation. This code is appropriate when the side of the fracture was not specified in the initial diagnosis or is not relevant to the current encounter.

• Ensure documentation specifies "routine healing" for the subsequent encounter; otherwise, a different seventh character may be needed.
• Verify the fracture type is explicitly documented as "Type III occipital condyle fracture" to differentiate from other occipital condyle fracture types.
• Confirm the laterality is truly unspecified; if left or right is known, a more specific code should be used.