Nondisp comminuted fracture of shaft of left tibia, sequela

This code describes a past injury involving a comminuted fracture of the shaft of the left tibia that is no longer acutely displaced. "Sequela" indicates that this code is used to report a condition or complication that is the result of a previous injury, after the acute phase of the injury has passed.

Use this code when documenting a long-term effect or complication stemming from a previously sustained nondisplaced comminuted fracture of the left tibial shaft. This would apply to follow-up encounters for ongoing issues like malunion, nonunion, chronic pain, or functional limitations directly attributable to the old fracture, after the initial healing period.

• Always use a seventh character of "S" for sequela when reporting long-term effects of a fracture.
• Code any current, specific sequelae (e.g., malunion, chronic pain, arthritis) in addition to this sequela code.
• Ensure documentation clearly links the current condition to the previous left tibial shaft fracture.