Crushing injury of left ankle, sequela

This code signifies a crushing injury to the left ankle, where the acute phase of the injury has passed, and the patient is now experiencing the long-term effects or complications. These sequelae can include chronic pain, stiffness, deformity, nerve damage, or impaired function resulting from the original crushing trauma.

Apply this code when documenting conditions that are residual effects of a crushing injury to the left ankle, occurring after the initial healing period. This is appropriate for follow-up encounters addressing ongoing problems directly attributable to the past crushing injury, such as chronic osteomyelitis, nonunion, or persistent neuropathy.

• Always use this "S" seventh character for sequela when the patient is being treated for the residual effects of the injury.
• Code the specific sequela (e.g., chronic pain, malunion) in addition to this external cause code.
• Ensure documentation clearly links the current condition to the previous crushing injury of the left ankle.