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Orthopedic Coding Alert

Reader questions:

716.14, 718.84 are for SLAC wrist

Published on Mon Nov 02, 2009 Updated on Mon Nov 02, 2009

Reviewed on May 20, 2015

Question: What diagnosis applies to a SLAC wrist due to scaphoid fracture?

Kentucky Subscriber

Answer: Look at your post-traumatic arthritis diagnosis choices such as 716.14 (Traumatic arthopathy; hand) with 718.84 (Other joint derangement, not elsewhere classified; hand).

Definition: SLAC stands for scapholunate advanced collapse, meaning the patient has a scaphoid or scapholunate ligament injury with collapse on the radial side of the wrist. SLAC is a common pattern of degenerative arthritis in the wrist.

ICD-10: When your diagnosis system changes, you will have new options for these diagnoses. Code 716.14 will expand to M12.541 (Traumatic arthropathy, right hand), M12.542 (… left hand), and M12.549 (… unspecified hand).
 
Code 718.84 will expand to the following options:
  • M24.841 — Other specific joint derangements of right hand, not elsewhere classified
  • M24.842 — Other specific joint derangements of left hand, not elsewhere classified
  • M24.849 — Other specific joint derangements of unspecified hand, not elsewhere classified
  • M25.341 — Other instability, right hand
  • M25.342 — Other instability, left hand
  • M25.349 — Other instability, unspecified hand

-- Reader Questions and You Be the Coder were reviewed by Heidi Stout, CPC, CCS-P, director of orthopedic coding services at The Coding Network LLC; and Bill Mallon, MD, orthopedic surgeon and medical director at Triangle Orthopaedic Associates in Durham, N.C.

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