Acquired absence of unspecified knee

This code indicates the absence of a knee joint that was lost due to a non-congenital cause. This could be the result of a surgical amputation, trauma, or disease process that necessitated removal of the knee. The "unspecified" nature means the laterality (left or right) of the absent knee is not documented.

Use this code when documentation clearly states an acquired absence of a knee, but the medical record does not specify whether it is the left or right knee. This is appropriate for patients who have undergone a knee disarticulation or above-knee amputation where the knee joint itself is no longer present, and laterality is not specified.

• Always query for laterality if not documented to allow for a more specific code.
• Do not use this code for congenital absence of a knee; different codes apply for congenital conditions.
• Ensure the absence is indeed "acquired" and not a birth defect.