Nondisp comminuted fracture of shaft of ulna, left arm, init

This diagnosis describes a fracture of the ulna bone in the lower part of the left arm. Specifically, the bone is broken into multiple fragments (comminuted) but the bone ends remain in their normal anatomical alignment (nondisplaced). This code is used for the initial treatment phase of a closed fracture, meaning the skin over the fracture site is intact.

Apply this code when documenting the initial evaluation and management of a patient presenting with a newly diagnosed, comminuted, nondisplaced fracture of the shaft of the left ulna. This includes scenarios such as emergency department visits, initial orthopedic consultations, or primary care visits where the fracture is first identified and treatment initiated.

• Ensure documentation specifies "nondisplaced" and "comminuted" to support this specific code.
• Verify the fracture location is the shaft of the ulna and laterality is the left arm.
• The "A" seventh character indicates an initial encounter for a closed fracture; use subsequent characters for follow-up care or open fractures.