ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Question: When a patient suffers a dislocated patella, which ICD-10 code should I report to reflect the condition?

Virginia Subscriber

Answer: The answer is going to depend on the specifics of the encounter, but you should narrow your diagnosis coding choices down to the following, depending on encounter and injury specifics:

• Acute dislocation: Look at the options under S83.0- (Subluxation and dislocation of patella).
• Congenital dislocation: Consider Q74.1 (Congenital malformation of knee).
• Recurrent dislocation: Look at the options under M22.0- (Recurrent dislocation of patella).
• Pathologic dislocation: Review the options under M24.36- (Pathological dislocation of knee, not elsewhere classified). 

If the medical record is unclear on the source of the dislocation, request more information from the physician before selecting a code.