Orthopedic Coding Alert

Question: How do we report a fracture of the sacroiliac joint and ilium that the patient sustained in a road traffic crush injury?

Ohio Subscriber

Answer: Assuming that this was a closed fracture, you look for codes for sacral, coccygeal, and ilium fractures. You may report codes 805.6 (Closed fracture of sacrum and coccyx without spinal cord injury) for the fracture of the sacrum and coccyx. You report the fracture of the ilium with code 808.41 (Closed fracture of ilium). You may also look at code 808.43 (Multiple closed pelvic fractures with disruption of pelvic circle) for the multiple closed fractures in the pelvis that do not disrupt the ring.