Displ commnt fx l patella, 7thM

This code signifies a complex, displaced fracture of the left kneecap that has broken into multiple pieces. It specifically indicates that the initial injury was an open fracture (meaning the skin was broken) and that the bone fragments have not healed together properly, leading to a nonunion. This is a subsequent encounter, meaning the patient is being seen for ongoing management of this unhealed fracture.

Use this code for follow-up encounters with a patient who previously sustained an open, comminuted, and displaced fracture of the left patella, and whose fracture has failed to unite. This applies when the open fracture was initially classified as Type I or II. It is appropriate for documentation of ongoing treatment, assessment, or surgical intervention related to the nonunion.

• Ensure documentation clearly specifies "left" patella and "displaced comminuted" fracture.
• Verify that the initial injury was an "open fracture Type I or II" and that "nonunion" is explicitly stated.
• This code is for subsequent encounters; use an acute fracture code for the initial injury.