Salter-Harris Type III physeal fracture of l calcaneus, 7thP

This code describes a specific growth plate fracture of the heel bone in a child, where the fracture line extends through the growth plate and then exits through the end of the bone. This particular instance indicates that the fracture has healed incorrectly, resulting in a malunion, and the patient is being seen for follow-up care related to this complication.

Apply this code when documenting a patient encounter for a previously sustained Salter-Harris Type III fracture of the left calcaneal physis that has healed in an anatomically incorrect position. This would be used for follow-up appointments, evaluations of the malunion, or planning for corrective procedures. It is appropriate for any encounter after the initial treatment of the fracture, where the malunion is the focus.

• Ensure documentation clearly specifies "left calcaneus" and "Salter-Harris Type III" to support this precise code.
• The "P" seventh character indicates a subsequent encounter for a fracture with malunion, so verify the patient is not in the initial healing phase.
• Distinguish from nonunion (Q) or routine healing (D) for subsequent encounters.