Podiatry Coding & Billing Alert

Question: Which diagnosis code should I use for Freiberg's disease in both feet (second and fourth metatarsal heads of the right and left foot, respectively)? It is not normally found in both feet.

South Carolina Subscriber

Answer: The code for his condition, Freiberg's disease, is 732.5 (Osteochondropathies; juvenile osteochondrosis of foot).

You do not need to specify where this rare disease of the metatarsals of the feet is occurring; you only append location modifiers to CPT® codes, not to diagnosis codes. Diagnosis codes may sometimes specify location through the fifth digit, which is the case with code 730. xx (Osteomyelitis ...), to which you would append the fifth digit 7 to indicate its location of "ankle and foot." You may also want to add the symptom 729.5 (Pain in limb).