Orthopedic Coding Alert

Select code after confirming if fracture is displaced or nondisplaced. When reporting the closed fracture of distal phalanx(es) in the hand, you invariably turned to code 816.02 (Closed fracture of distal phalanx or phalanges of hand) in ICD-9. There is, however, a wider choice for you in ICD-10. "In ICD-9, there are only two codes that describe a distal phalanx fracture of the finger or thumb -- 816.02 for a closed fracture, and 816.12 (Open fracture of distal phalanx or phalanges of hand) for an open fracture. In ICD-10, there are 42 codes that apply just to distal phalanx fracture of the thumb," says Heidi Stout, BA, CPC, COSC, PCS, CCS-P, Coder on Call, Inc., Milltown, New Jersey and orthopedic coding division director, The Coding Network, LLC, Beverly Hills, CA. The bottom line: ICD-10 requires you to be specific about which phalanx(es) in particular was involved. Also, you will need your [...]