ICD code S62.635G – Displaced distal phalanx fracture, left ring finger, delayed healing

Key takeaways

ICD-10 code S62.635G reports a displaced fracture of the distal phalanx of the left ring finger at a follow-up visit with delayed healing.

The 7th character G means delayed healing. D means routine healing, K means nonunion and P means malunion.

Laterality sits in the 6th character: 5 is the left ring finger and 4 is the right ring finger (S62.634G).

The record needs three facts: left ring finger, a displaced distal phalanx on imaging, and a provider statement that healing is delayed.

At the follow-up, report the external cause with a D character, such as W19.XXXD, and skip the place and activity codes.

ICD-10 code S62.635G at a glance

ICD-10 code S62.635G covers a displaced fracture of the distal phalanx of the left ring finger, subsequent encounter for fracture with delayed healing. In plain terms, the fingertip bone of the left fourth finger broke out of alignment. The patient is back for follow-up, and the bone is knitting more slowly than expected.

It’s a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code. Use the table below as a quick check before you read the detail.

Each character of S62.635G answers a different question

Read the code from left to right, and each character narrows the claim. A slip at any position points to a different finger, bone or visit.

• S62 is the category: fracture at wrist and hand level.
• S62.6 narrows it to fractures of other and unspecified fingers. The thumb has its own subcategory, S62.5-.
• S62.63 means a displaced fracture of the distal phalanx. That is the small bone at the fingertip, past the last knuckle.
• S62.635 sets the digit and side. The 6th character 5 is the left ring finger, while 4 is the right ring finger.
• G is the 7th character: a subsequent encounter for a fracture with delayed healing.

Two defaults from the S62 category notes matter here. A fracture not documented as displaced or nondisplaced is coded as displaced. A fracture not documented as open or closed is coded as closed. You can confirm both in the CDC/NCHS ICD-10-CM browser tool.

The same left-to-right reading works on every injury code in our ICD-10-CM code library, so it’s worth learning once.

The 7th character G tells the payer healing has slowed

The 7th character carries the phase of care. For S62 fractures, seven letters are valid, and there is no Q.

Coders mix up G and D more than any other pair. Both describe a follow-up visit. D says healing is on track, while G says it has slowed. Pick G only when the provider writes that healing is delayed. A coder should never infer it from the calendar alone.

Also note that subsequent letters do not split open from closed. An open fracture takes B at the initial encounter, then D, G, K, P or S afterward.

When S62.635G fits the visit in front of you

A subsequent encounter is care after active treatment ends, while the fracture heals. S62.635G fits that phase only when healing has stalled.

Typical visits include:

• A hand specialist follow-up where repeat X-rays show little callus at the left ring fingertip
• A splint check where the provider extends immobilization because union is slower than expected
• A return visit where the provider records persistent tenderness at the fracture site and calls it delayed union
• A visit to a different provider for the same fracture, after another provider gave the initial treatment

If the same visit shows the fracture healing well, the code is S62.635D. If the provider diagnoses nonunion, it’s S62.635K. Nonunion follows the same pattern on other fingers, as S62.630K shows for the right index finger.

At the visit, settle the phase of care first. Then match the provider’s wording to one outcome, as the flow below shows.

What S62.635G leaves out, and where those cases go

Several fractures look similar on paper but belong elsewhere. Check this list before you settle on the code.

• Open fractures: S62 uses no Gustilo split. An open fracture takes B at the initial encounter, and later visits use D, G, K, P or S.
• Pathological fractures: a fracture through diseased bone goes to M84, not S62. For the hand, see M84.54- (neoplastic disease) or M84.64- (other disease).
• Stress fractures: fatigue fractures of the hand go to M84.34-.
• Traumatic amputation: the S62 category notes send amputation of the wrist and hand to S68.-.
• Distal radius and ulna: fractures of the distal parts of the forearm bones go to S52.-.
• The right hand: a displaced distal phalanx fracture of the right ring finger with delayed healing is S62.634G.

These neighbor codes are easy to grab by mistake

Most errors sit one character away from S62.635G. The table shows which character changed and what it means.

Remember that S62.60- means an unspecified phalanx of a named finger. It is not a catch-all for an unspecified finger.

What the record needs to back up S62.635G

A claim is only as strong as the note behind it. Auditors look for five elements.

• Left side, ring finger: the note and the imaging report should both name the left ring finger. “Finger fracture” alone does not support the 6th character.
• Displaced distal phalanx on imaging: the radiology report should place the fracture at the distal phalanx and describe displacement.
• A delayed-healing statement: the provider should write “delayed healing” or “delayed union” in the assessment. Phrases like “slow to heal” invite a query.
• The fracture history: record when and where the initial treatment took place. That shows the visit is subsequent.
• The plan for slow healing: note what changes, such as longer splinting, repeat imaging or a referral.

Good notes also support clean claim submission, because the coder has less to guess.

Run this checklist before you submit S62.635G

Take two minutes with the chart before the claim leaves your system. Each step catches a common denial.

1. Confirm the visit is a follow-up, not the first treatment.
2. Find the words “delayed healing” or “delayed union” in the provider’s assessment.
3. Match the side to the imaging report: left means 5 in the 6th character.
4. Check that imaging places the fracture at the distal phalanx and calls it displaced.
5. Add an external cause code with a D character, such as W19.XXXD, if your payer or state asks for it.
6. Make sure the CPT code describes the service given today.

How an S62.635G claim moves, and where it trips up

Once coded, the claim goes through your scrubber and clearinghouse, then on to the payer. Problems tend to surface at three points.

• Eligibility: plans may cap follow-up or therapy visits. Insurance eligibility verification before the visit avoids surprises.
• Claim history: some payers compare the follow-up with earlier claims. A G code with no earlier claim for this fracture can prompt a records request.
• Global periods: fracture care codes such as 26750 carry a global surgical period. Routine follow-up by the same surgeon is then often reported with 99024.

External cause codes come next. There is no national rule that makes them mandatory, but many payers and states ask for them. At this visit, report the cause with the D character, for example W19.XXXD for an unspecified fall. Place of occurrence (Y92) and activity (Y93) codes belong only on the initial encounter.

Why S62.635G claims get denied, and how to avoid it

Denials on this code follow a familiar pattern. Most trace back to one character or one missing phrase.

• G used where D belongs: the note says the fracture is healing well, but the claim reports delayed healing. An auditor will downcode or deny it.
• The wrong side: the imaging names the right hand, yet the claim says left. Laterality must match across the note, the report and the code.
• Imaging that does not support the bone or displacement: the report describes a middle phalanx or nondisplaced fracture, so S62.635G does not fit.
• No delayed-healing statement: without the provider’s words, G looks unsupported.
• A at a follow-up visit: the initial character on a return visit signals new active treatment.
• Sequela coded as follow-up: stiffness after the fracture has healed calls for S62.635S.

A denial management workflow that sorts rejections by reason code shows which of these hits your practice most.

CPT codes that usually sit beside S62.635G

The CPT code must describe the service delivered at this visit. These are the common pairings.

CPT 26750 (closed treatment of a distal phalangeal fracture, without manipulation) is a treatment code. It belongs with the initial encounter, S62.635A, not with a G follow-up. Repeat films that track the slow healing usually go out as 73140, with at least two views.

How claim software keeps S62.635G follow-ups moving

Follow-up fracture claims stall when the note, the code and the claim live in separate places. The biller then has to chase the provider for the side or the healing status.

Pabau, the practice management and billing platform we build, keeps the visit note and the claim in the same patient record. The coder sees the provider’s “delayed union” line next to the code they’re about to send.

From there, Pabau’s claims management for practices sends the claim electronically through the Claim.MD clearinghouse. You spend less time rekeying and more time checking the record.

Keep fracture follow-up claims moving

Pabau keeps the follow-up note and the claim in one patient record. Claims go out electronically through the Claim.MD clearinghouse integration.

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Conclusion

S62.635G stands or falls on the provider’s wording. If the note says the left ring fingertip is healing slowly, and imaging shows a displaced distal phalanx, the code holds up. If either fact is missing, a neighbor code is the honest choice.

So build the habit into your follow-up template. Prompt the provider to state side, bone, displacement and healing status at every fracture visit. Book a demo to see how Pabau keeps fracture follow-up notes and claims in one place.

Continue your research

Need to understand what happens when a claim is rejected? Denial management in healthcare covers the end-to-end process for tracking, appealing, and preventing claim denials by CARC reason code.

Want to validate claims before they reach the payer? How the Claim.MD clearinghouse works explains eligibility checks, 837P submission, and ERA processing for US practices.

Looking for a structured approach to the full billing workflow? Electronic remittance advice (ERA) explained walks through how 835 remittance files map denial reasons back to specific claim lines.

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