Acquired absence of unspecified leg below knee

This code signifies the permanent loss of a lower limb, specifically below the knee, due to a cause other than a congenital defect. It indicates that the patient no longer has a portion of their leg, acquired sometime after birth.

Apply this code when documentation clearly states an acquired amputation below the knee, and the specific side (left or right) is not specified. This is appropriate for conditions resulting from trauma, disease, or surgical removal where the laterality is unknown.

• Only use this code when documentation explicitly lacks laterality (left or right).
• If the laterality is known, use the more specific codes Z89.511 (right) or Z89.512 (left).
• Do not use for congenital absence; refer to Q72.x codes for those cases.