ICD code S62.111K – Displaced triquetrum wrist fracture with nonunion

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Key takeaways

S62.111K reports a displaced triquetrum fracture of the right wrist that has failed to heal. The left-wrist code is S62.112K.

The 7th character K means nonunion. Routine subsequent healing takes D, slow but unconfirmed healing takes G, and malunion takes P.

Imaging showing absent bridging callus has to be in the record, alongside the treating provider’s own assessment of nonunion.

Displacement decides the sixth character. A nondisplaced triquetrum fracture of the right wrist takes the S62.114 codes instead.

Pabau’s claims management software validates the 7th character before submission and keeps the imaging reference attached to the claim.

ICD-10 Code S62.111K: Full description and billable status

ICD-10 Code S62.111K is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code valid for HIPAA-covered transactions. It became effective on October 1, 2025, as part of the 2026 ICD-10-CM edition, and remains the current version of the code for reporting purposes.

S62.111K is a diagnosis code rather than a procedure code. It describes what is wrong with the patient, while ICD-10-PCS codes carry the surgical intervention. On the claim, S62.111K is the supporting diagnosis. The CMS ICD-10 codes page requires ICD-10-CM codes to be reported at the highest level of specificity available. For this fracture that means the full 7-character code, K suffix included.

What the 7th character K means at a subsequent encounter

The 7th character K means the patient is presenting at a subsequent encounter for a fracture that has failed to heal within the expected timeframe. It signals nonunion specifically, a clinically distinct failure state that imaging must confirm before the code can be used. Subsequent-encounter characters work the same way across every injury category. The nonunion distinction matters most for carpal bone fractures, where healing timelines vary by mechanism and by the vascularity of the bone.

The G suffix is worth pausing on. Where a provider suspects healing is slow but cannot yet confirm nonunion radiographically, G (delayed healing) is the appropriate interim code. Jumping straight to K before imaging confirms the failure overstates the clinical picture and may not hold up under audit. Once nonunion is confirmed on X-ray or CT, the code advances to K.

Where S62.111K sits in the code hierarchy

S62.111K sits under Chapter 19 of the ICD-10-CM code index, among the injury and trauma codes. Knowing where the code falls in the hierarchy helps coders confirm specificity and spot when a less-specific parent code is behind a billing problem.

Category S62 requires a 7th character to be billable. Submitting S62.111 or S62.11 without the 7th character returns an invalid-code edit from the clearinghouse before the claim reaches the payer. The CDC/NCHS ICD-10-CM web tool shows the full tabular list including all valid 7th characters for S62 fractures.

What is a displaced fracture of the triquetrum bone?

A displaced fracture of the triquetrum bone is a break in which the fragments have shifted out of normal anatomical alignment. The triquetrum is the small pyramidal carpal bone on the ulnar side of the wrist. It is the second most commonly fractured carpal bone, after the scaphoid, and is sometimes called the cuneiform bone. Both names appear in the ICD-10-CM code description.

Displaced triquetrum fractures typically result from a fall on an outstretched hand or a direct blow to the dorsal surface of the wrist. The displacement distinction drives the sixth character of the code. A nondisplaced fracture of the same bone on the right side takes S62.114x, not S62.111x. Using the wrong displacement digit alters the clinical picture for the payer and can complicate prior authorization for surgical repair.

• Dorsal chip fractures: the most common triquetrum injury type, caused by ligamentous avulsion or impingement from the ulnar styloid. They may appear as a small cortical fragment on lateral X-ray
• Triquetral body fractures: less common, higher energy mechanism, more likely to be displaced
• Associated injuries: triquetrum fractures often accompany perilunate dislocations and ligamentous injuries; code any confirmed associated injuries alongside S62.111K
• Vascularity: unlike the scaphoid, the triquetrum has relatively reliable blood supply, but healing can still fail in high-energy fractures or when treatment is delayed

What is fracture nonunion and why does it require a separate code?

Fracture nonunion is the failure of a broken bone to heal within the expected timeframe. It is typically defined as no radiographic evidence of progressive bridging callus after several months of appropriate treatment. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons distinguishes nonunion from delayed union. Delayed union (7th character G) is a slowed healing process that is still progressing. Nonunion (7th character K) is a cessation of healing activity confirmed on imaging.

ICD-10-CM separates nonunion from routine subsequent encounters because the clinical management is materially different. A patient coded S62.111D may only need occupational therapy or a scheduled follow-up. A patient coded S62.111K requires reassessment for surgical intervention, bone stimulation, or grafting. Payers treat the two differently as well: nonunion claims may require additional documentation or prior authorization that a routine follow-up claim does not.

Every 7th character in the subsequent-encounter range answers one question, which is what the imaging shows at the return visit. The chart below maps each finding to the code it produces.

Documentation requirements for S62.111K

S62.111K requires documentation that goes beyond what a routine fracture follow-up note contains. The K suffix asserts a specific clinical finding. The record has to substantiate it at the level the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting require. The core elements are below.

• Imaging confirming nonunion: at minimum an X-ray series; ideally a CT scan, which provides higher sensitivity for detecting absent bridging callus. The imaging report or a provider reference to it must appear in the encounter documentation
• Encounter type confirmed as subsequent: the record must make clear this is not the initial active-treatment encounter. A note of prior cast immobilization, splinting, or surgical fixation establishes the encounter sequence
• Provider attestation: the treating clinician must document their assessment that nonunion is present. A radiology report alone is not sufficient; the ordering provider must acknowledge and address the finding
• Laterality agreement: S62.111K already specifies the right wrist. The note must name the same side, because a left-sided nonunion is coded S62.112K and a note that contradicts the code invites a records request
• Associated conditions: if nerve injury, tendon involvement, or vascular compromise accompanies the fracture, code those conditions separately and document them in the record

Attaching the imaging reference and the provider attestation to the claim before submission keeps the evidence with the claim. The alternative is producing the same two documents weeks later, during a denial appeal, when the encounter is no longer fresh in anyone’s memory.

Related ICD-10-CM codes for triquetrum fractures

S62.111K belongs to a structured family of triquetrum fracture codes. Selecting the correct code means confirming three things: the side, the displacement status, and the 7th character. The table below covers the codes coders meet most often when managing triquetrum fractures across the care continuum. For a searchable reference, AAPC Codify’s ICD-10-CM lookup allows filtering by code range and keyword.

Two rows in that table cause most of the confusion. S62.112K looks like a displacement variant of S62.111K but is the left-wrist code. S62.114K is the nondisplaced right-wrist code that coders often reach for by mistake. Reading the sixth digit before the 7th character settles both.

Common coding errors and how to avoid them

Triquetrum fracture nonunion claims generate a predictable set of denials. Most trace back to three error patterns: the wrong 7th character, nonunion and malunion confusion, and a note that never states the side. Catching them before submission is far less costly than working a denial appeal. Building the review step into standard billing practice is what denial management workflows are for.

• Using A (initial encounter) for follow-up visits: the A suffix is for encounters during active treatment, not every visit related to the fracture. Once the fracture has received definitive care, subsequent visits use D, G, K, P, or S depending on the healing status. Submitting A for a nonunion follow-up creates a claim-sequence discrepancy that payers flag under duplicate-bill edits
• Confusing K (nonunion) with P (malunion): nonunion means the bone has not healed; malunion means it has healed but incorrectly. These require different management and different codes. A patient who develops wrist deformity from a healed-but-angulated triquetrum fracture needs S62.111P. Documentation must be specific enough to distinguish the two
• Skipping to K before confirming with imaging: using S62.111K without imaging confirmation in the record exposes the claim to medical-necessity denial. Code S62.111G (delayed healing) until the CT or X-ray is in the chart
• Letting the note stay silent on the side: S62.111K is the right-wrist code and S62.112K its left-wrist counterpart. The code and the note have to agree. A note that never names the side leaves the coder with an unspecified-wrist option that payers treat as under-specified
• Missing additional codes for associated injuries: triquetrum fractures that occur alongside perilunate dislocations, ulnar nerve injury, or triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) tears require additional codes. S62.111K alone does not capture the full clinical picture

Routing S62.111K claims through a short pre-submission checklist removes most of these. A claim that goes out clean on the first pass is paid faster. A denial and resubmission cycle typically adds 30 to 45 days to accounts receivable.

The ICD List reference tool lets coders cross-reference S62.111K against DRG groupers and code edits, which can surface pairing issues before the claim is submitted. Retention rules that govern clinical records apply to the imaging studies behind a nonunion code. Keep the report retrievable for the full retention period.

How claims software keeps a nonunion claim defensible

In most practices the wrong 7th character is caught by the payer rather than by the practice. The denial lands, a biller pulls the chart, finds the imaging report, and resubmits weeks later. The coding was fixable in seconds at the point of claim creation.

Practice management software like Pabau moves that check forward. Pabau’s claims management software validates code completeness before transmission, so a missing 7th character is flagged while the coder still has the encounter open. Supporting documents attach to the claim at the same moment, which means the imaging reference and the provider attestation travel with it.

Claims then go out through the Claim.MD clearinghouse with that evidence already in place. Every Pabau subscription includes the full claims module, so a single-site orthopedic practice runs the same validation as a multi-location group.

Submit fracture claims with the right 7th character

Pabau’s claims management software checks code completeness before a claim leaves the practice and keeps the imaging evidence attached to it. Coders catch a missing 7th character before the payer does.

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Conclusion

Two decisions carry S62.111K. The imaging has to confirm nonunion before the K suffix is used. The note has to name the right wrist, because the code already does. Get either one wrong and the claim is not defensible, however complete the rest of the record looks.

The trade-off worth remembering is timing. Coding G while the imaging is pending costs a little reimbursement now and protects the claim under audit later. Coding K early does the reverse. Book a demo to see how Pabau validates fracture codes and attaches imaging evidence before a claim is submitted.

Continue your research

Need to understand how medical billing fundamentals apply to fracture care claims? What is medical billing covers the end-to-end process from code selection to payment posting.

Managing denial appeals on complex orthopedic claims? Medical billing compliance outlines the documentation standards that support nonunion and delayed-healing code submissions.

Want fewer fracture claims coming back for rework? What makes a clean claim sets out the checks that get a claim paid on its first submission.

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