Displaced spiral fracture of shaft of left femur, sequela

This code signifies a past injury involving a spiral fracture of the shaft of the left femur that was displaced, and the patient is now experiencing a complication or residual effect directly attributable to that previous fracture. This indicates that the acute phase of the fracture has passed, and the current encounter addresses a long-term consequence.

Use this code when documenting a patient presenting with a sequela (e.g., chronic pain, nonunion, malunion, limited range of motion, hardware complications) directly resulting from a previously displaced spiral fracture of the shaft of the left femur. This applies to encounters occurring after the initial healing period of the acute fracture.

• Always use an additional code to specify the nature of the sequela (e.g., M84.4x for nonunion, M96.810 for retained orthopedic internal fixation device).
• Ensure documentation clearly links the current condition to the prior displaced spiral fracture of the left femoral shaft.
• Do not use this code for the initial treatment of the acute fracture; use the appropriate acute fracture code.