ICD-10 code S62.630K: Displaced fracture of distal phalanx right index finger

Key takeaways

ICD-10 code S62.630K describes a displaced fracture of the distal phalanx of the right index finger. You report it at a subsequent encounter, once the fracture shows nonunion.

The 7th character K applies when a follow-up visit documents fracture nonunion. Choosing A, D, or G instead invites a denial.

S62.630K is billable and valid for HIPAA-covered transactions. The current ICD-10-CM edition runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Practice management software like Pabau captures laterality, encounter type, and fracture status in structured fields at every visit.

ICD-10 code S62.630K covers a displaced fracture of the distal phalanx of the right index finger. You report it at a subsequent encounter, after active treatment has ended and the bone has failed to unite.

It is a billable, specific code. The current ICD-10-CM edition runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. According to the CMS ICD-10 codes page, it is eligible for submission on HIPAA-covered transactions.

Payers check the code set edition against the date of service at claim adjudication. S62.630K itself has not changed since it was introduced on October 1, 2015. What matters is that the edition you bill from matches the date of service.

What does S62.630K mean? Breaking down the code

Every character in S62.630K carries clinical meaning. Understanding the structure prevents substitution errors when coding adjacent phalanx fractures or different encounter types.

The zero in S62.630 confirms the right index finger, and the left index finger uses S62.631x. Laterality mix-ups are the most common clean-claim failure on finger fracture codes. The physician’s note has to say “right” for this code to hold up on audit.

What the 7th character K means

The 7th character K says the patient came back after active treatment ended, and the fracture has failed to achieve bony union. That single letter changes the clinical story the code tells a payer. It also drives medical necessity for orthopedic hardware and physical therapy authorizations.

Review the full set of valid 7th characters for S62.630 before coding any follow-up visit. The same character logic runs across the wider S62 family, including wrist codes such as S62.185K.

The practical distinction between D, G, and K comes down to imaging and physician documentation. Delayed healing (G) describes a fracture that is still progressing toward union, only slower than expected. Nonunion (K) means bony bridging has stopped and the fracture line persists on imaging.

Malunion (P) means the fracture healed in an incorrect position. Without explicit physician documentation of one of those outcomes, D (routine healing) is the only defensible choice.

Complete list of S62.630 sibling codes

The S62.630 base code covers a displaced fracture of the distal phalanx of the right index finger. All sibling codes share that anatomy, and only the encounter type changes. The table above lists all seven valid siblings. For a nondisplaced fracture in the same location, the base code is S62.660 instead.

For left index finger equivalents, the series starts at S62.631. For the other digits on the right hand, the code body shifts again:

• Right middle finger: S62.632
• Right ring finger: S62.634
• Right little finger: S62.636

Each of those follows the same 7th character rules described above. Open fractures in the same family take a B rather than a K, as in S62.601B.

Where the code sits in the S62 hierarchy

S62.630K sits inside a nested ICD-10-CM hierarchy. Coders often need the parent codes to navigate crosswalks and DRG groupers. Some payer coverage policies also reference the category rather than the full billable code.

No placeholder X is involved anywhere in this code. The placeholder only fills empty character positions in codes shorter than six characters that still need a 7th character. S62.630 already runs to six characters, so K attaches directly as the 7th. The same rule covers related hand codes such as S62.202P.

ICD-10-CM coding guidelines for fracture nonunion

Fracture coding under ICD-10-CM follows the episode-of-care model set out in the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines. The encounter type follows the phase of care rather than the patient’s status as new or established.

• Active treatment (use A or B): Any visit where the provider is actively treating the fracture. That covers the initial emergency visit, surgical fixation, and follow-up visits involving reduction or casting.
• Routine subsequent care (use D): Visits after active treatment is complete, where the fracture is healing as expected. Cast removal, pin removal, and physical therapy referrals all sit here.
• Delayed healing (use G): The fracture is healing but more slowly than clinically expected. Imaging must document ongoing healing progress, even if slower than normal.
• Nonunion (use K): The fracture has ceased to heal. Imaging shows no progression of bony bridging over a period that should have been sufficient for healing. Physician documentation of nonunion is required.
• Malunion (use P): The fracture healed in a mechanically or anatomically incorrect position. Physician must document the malposition.
• Sequela (use S): A late effect of the fracture, such as chronic pain or deformity, coded after the fracture itself is healed.

For practices managing return-to-play timelines with sports medicine software, the switch from D to K carries weight downstream. Authorization for further imaging, surgical consultation, and extended therapy all depend on the nonunion code being in place.

Practices that capture injury history and prior treatment at every visit through digital intake forms keep that documentation retrievable at coding time.

Clinical documentation requirements

S62.630K requires specific elements in the clinical record. A note that says “fracture follow-up” is not sufficient. Payers auditing nonunion claims look for six documentation anchors:

• Laterality: The note must explicitly state “right” index finger. “Index finger” without laterality defaults to unspecified and cannot support S62.630K.
• Fracture type: “Displaced fracture” must appear. If the fracture was initially displaced and subsequent imaging confirms the position has not corrected, the original displacement characterization typically carries forward.
• Anatomical level: “Distal phalanx” must be identified. Proximal or middle phalanx fractures use different code families.
• Digit specificity: “Index finger” or “second digit” must be documented. Generic “finger fracture” is insufficient.
• Encounter type justification: The note must confirm the patient is beyond the active treatment phase. Dates of original injury and any surgical procedures help establish the episode timeline.
• Nonunion confirmation: The physician must explicitly state nonunion, typically supported by imaging findings. Language such as “persistent fracture line,” “no evidence of callus formation,” or “failure of bony bridging” in the radiology report supports the nonunion designation.

Practices with HIPAA-compliant documentation workflows reduce audit exposure, because every required element lands in a structured field rather than free text. That discipline matters most when hand therapy runs alongside orthopedics, which is where occupational therapy software keeps both sets of notes in one record.

Displaced vs. nondisplaced fracture: Coding distinction

ICD-10-CM separates displaced from nondisplaced fractures at the code level. The physician’s documentation controls which series applies; coders cannot infer displacement status from mechanism of injury alone.

When documentation is ambiguous, ICD-10-CM guidelines instruct coders to default to displaced. If imaging shows a nondisplaced fracture and the physician notes it as such, S62.660K is the correct nonunion code. Using S62.630K for a documented nondisplaced fracture is an error that gets flagged on audit.

MS-DRG groupings for S62.630K

S62.630K is grouped within Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Groups (MS-DRGs) for inpatient billing under CMS. The specific DRG assignment depends on the presence of complicating or comorbid conditions (CC) and major complicating conditions (MCC). According to the AAPC ICD-10-CM coding reference, S62.630K falls within the musculoskeletal injury DRG groupings.

For outpatient and physician billing, MS-DRG grouping does not apply directly. S62.630K maps instead to standard APC (Ambulatory Payment Classification) groupings for outpatient hospital claims.

The CMS MS-DRG grouper files carry the current classifications for inpatient verification. Check DRG weights against the most recent CMS IPPS final rule, since the values update every October 1.

Approximate synonyms and index terms

Coding references and documentation systems use several clinical terms interchangeably with S62.630K. These index terms appear in the ICD-10-CM alphabetic index and help coders locate the code when documentation uses non-standard phrasing.

• Displaced fracture of distal phalanx of right 2nd digit, subsequent encounter for nonunion
• Fracture of distal phalanx of right index finger with nonunion, follow-up encounter
• Nonunion of distal phalanx fracture, right index finger
• Right index finger distal phalanx fracture nonunion, subsequent visit
• Disp fx of distal phalanx of right index finger (nonunion, subsequent)

Any of these synonyms can map to S62.630K, as long as the record carries all four required elements. Those are right laterality, displaced classification, distal phalanx location, and confirmed nonunion. Practices using claims management software can flag notes that use a synonym without the matching code.

How Pabau supports accurate ICD-10 coding for fracture cases

Accurate use of S62.630K depends on the record capturing the right details at the right time. Practice management software like Pabau holds injury date, laterality, fracture type, and encounter sequence in structured client records. Coders stop piecing the episode together from free text at billing time.

For practices running orthopedic rehabilitation alongside coding, Pabau Scribe, our AI scribe, captures consultation detail in structured form without adding to charting time. The result holds up to payer audit on nonunion cases, where several providers add to one record over months.

Pabau also carries the coded diagnosis through to the claim, so billing and clinical notes stay in step. Every subscription includes every feature, so none of this sits behind a higher tier.

Capture every coding element at the point of care

Pabau records laterality, encounter type, and fracture status in structured fields as the visit happens. Coders get everything they need to bill S62.630K without chasing the physician for a clarification.

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Conclusion

Three elements have to line up before S62.630K is the right code. You need a subsequent visit, a displaced distal phalanx fracture on the right index finger, and confirmed nonunion. Miss any one of them and the claim is exposed on audit.

The fix sits upstream of the coder. If the physician’s note names laterality, displacement, and the nonunion finding at the visit itself, the code follows without a query. If it does not, no amount of billing review will recover it later.

Pabau records those elements at the point of care, so the billing team is not chasing documentation weeks after the visit. Book a demo to see how Pabau handles fracture episode coding across multi-provider practices.

Continue your research

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Assessing a hand injury before you code it? Hand nerve tests walks through the median, ulnar, and radial exam that supports your documentation.

Coding an open metacarpal fracture instead? S62.349B shows how the B character changes the encounter picture for an open fracture.

Tracking functional recovery after a finger fracture? Pinch grip test explains how to perform and score a test that evidences progress between visits.

Measuring hand function across a rehabilitation episode? Dexterity test compares the standard test types and how each one is administered and scored.

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