Wiki Coding minimally displaced fractures?

[Blyewskiconger]

We are having a discussion within our office between our coders regarding what codes to use when a physician states minimally displaced for a fracture. Some of us have been told in the past to use non-displaced versus some of us being told to use displaced. Research on this seems to be old, most I can find being 2015-2018. Can anyone provide insight or some resources that are more current for this issue?

Thank you!

 

[TThivierge]

Blye
Non displaced fracture means bone not broken completed, probably cracked ....see ICD10 dx code of S62 blocks. Then of course body area it applies too. I d add pain dx. M25 , M54 and M79 blocks to it also if in documentation, place of injury,date of injury and where it happened if given that data in documentation. Id follow the notation physician has given you in provider's documentation. Do not guess because guessing is conflict with a medical coder s ethics.
I hope this data helps you
Lady T

 

[amyjph]

Taking it literally, if it says the words displaced, regardless of minimally or how described, it is displaced. If it wasn't they would call it nondisplaced.
I would default to the ICD-10 guidelines for Chapter 19 - Coding of traumatic fractures. That is the answer.

Howdy UP neighbor.