Injury to superficial femoral artery

This code signifies traumatic damage to the superficial femoral artery, a major blood vessel in the thigh. Such injuries can range from contusions and lacerations to complete transections, often leading to significant hemorrhage or ischemia distal to the injury site.

Apply this code when documentation explicitly states an injury to the superficial femoral artery due to external forces, such as blunt trauma, penetrating wounds, or iatrogenic causes. This diagnosis is supported by operative reports detailing arterial repair, imaging studies confirming arterial damage, or clinical notes describing the mechanism and extent of the injury.

• Always code the underlying cause of the injury (E-code) in addition to the arterial injury.
• Distinguish between superficial femoral artery injury and deep femoral artery injury; they are distinct anatomical structures.
• Ensure documentation specifies "superficial" femoral artery to avoid confusion with the common femoral artery or other femoral artery branches.