Orthopedic Coding Alert
Reader Question:
Untreated Medial Malleolar Fracture
Published on Sun Jul 01, 2001
Question: A patient has a chronic medial malleolar fracture and pronation of feet. This is the patients first visit and the fracture has been untreated for over a year, so were not doing fracture care. How should I code?
Vermont Subscriber
Answer: Code for the medial malleolar fracture using 824.0 (fracture of ankle, medial malleolus, closed), but also add a secondary code for deformity of the foot. If the deformity is a result of the untreated fracture, use 736.79 (other acquired deformities of ankle and foot). If the deformity is congenital and unrelated to the fracture, use 755.67 (anomalies of foot, not elsewhere classified).
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