Orthopedic Coding Alert

READER QUESTION:

Bankart Lesion Code

Question: Is there an ICD-9 code designated for a Bankart lesion?

Tennessee Subscriber

Answer: CMS has not instituted an ICD-9 code for a Bankart lesion. However, Bankart lesions usually result from a traumatic shoulder dislocation, so you should use the dislocation code to identify the patient's original problem.

For an acute injury, report the shoulder dislocation code, 831.0x. If the Bankart lesions appear following a chronic problem, recurrent dislocations (718.31) or shoulder instability (718.81) is usually the cause.

 

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