Traumatic rupture of cervical intervertebral disc, sequela

This code signifies a long-term complication or late effect resulting from a traumatic tear or break in one of the discs between the vertebrae in the neck. It indicates that the initial injury has resolved, but the patient continues to experience residual symptoms or conditions directly attributable to the past disc rupture.

Apply this code when documenting conditions like chronic pain, neurological deficits, or instability that are a direct consequence of a previously sustained traumatic cervical disc rupture. Documentation should clearly state the prior traumatic event and link the current symptoms to that specific injury, often years after the initial incident.

• Always sequence this sequela code after the code for the specific residual condition (e.g., chronic pain, myelopathy).
• Ensure documentation explicitly states the traumatic etiology of the original disc rupture and the "sequela" nature of the current presentation.
• Distinguish from acute traumatic ruptures (S13.0XXA/D) or non-traumatic disc degeneration, which require different codes.