ICD code S62.644B – Nondisplaced proximal phalanx fracture, right ring finger

Key takeaways

ICD-10 Code S62.644B is billable for a nondisplaced proximal phalanx fracture of the right ring finger at the initial encounter for an open fracture.

Category S62 does not split open fractures by Gustilo type, so any open fracture at this site takes B, and a closed one takes S62.644A.

Documentation must state laterality, digit, phalanx level, open or closed status, and displacement, because missing status defaults to closed and displaced.

Pabau’s claims management software integrates with Claim.MD to submit and track open-fracture claims across thousands of US payers.

ICD-10 Code S62.644B: Quick reference and billable status

ICD-10 Code S62.644B is an active, billable ICD-10-CM code for a nondisplaced fracture of the right ring finger’s proximal phalanx.

It’s reported at the initial encounter when the fracture is open. It has been valid since FY 2016 and remains in the FY 2026 code set. Here’s the core reference data to check before you select it.

The parent code S62.644 is not billable, so a claim that stops at six characters will reject. Always report the full seven-character code. Confirm each new fiscal year’s validity in the CDC ICD-10-CM lookup tool before you submit.

What each character of S62.644B means

Each position in S62.644B encodes one clinical or administrative fact. A wrong character anywhere produces a different code, and the 7th character is where most errors land. The same structure runs through every fracture code in category S62.

The proximal phalanx is the finger bone closest to the hand. It meets the metacarpal at the MCP joint and the middle phalanx at the PIP joint. “Nondisplaced” means the fracture line is present but the fragments haven’t shifted out of alignment. A nondisplaced fracture can still be open, which is exactly the case this code covers.

S62.644A vs S62.644B: Open or closed at the first encounter

S62.644A covers this injury at the initial encounter for a closed fracture, with the skin intact. S62.644B covers the same injury at the initial encounter for an open fracture, where the skin over the fracture is broken. The two codes aren’t interchangeable, and the note has to support whichever one you report.

Here’s where many coding references go wrong. Some fracture categories split open fractures by Gustilo-Anderson type. Forearm (S52), femur (S72) and lower leg (S82) codes use B for type I or II and C for type III. Category S62 has no such split, so every open fracture of this finger bone takes B, whatever its Gustilo type.

The Gustilo grade is still worth recording, because it guides antibiotics and surgical planning. It just doesn’t change the diagnosis code here. What the coder needs is an explicit statement that the fracture is open. If the note doesn’t say whether the fracture is open or closed, the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines default to closed, which points to S62.644A. Query the provider when the wound is described but its link to the fracture isn’t.

Choosing the 7th character for S62.644

The 7th character in category S62 records two facts. It shows the encounter type (initial, subsequent or sequela), and at the initial encounter it shows whether the fracture is open or closed. The full set for S62.644 looks like this.

Encounters during active treatment take A or B as the 7th character. Once the patient moves into healing or rehabilitation, switch to D, G, K or P to match the healing status. The decision runs in the order shown below.

Reporting B at every follow-up visit is a common audit finding. It tells the payer the patient is still in active treatment for a new open fracture, which the notes won’t support.

Nondisplaced vs displaced: Choosing between S62.644B and S62.614B

Nondisplaced and displaced fractures of the same bone use different codes. The ICD-10-CM guidelines say a fracture not documented as displaced or nondisplaced is coded as displaced. So if the note is silent on alignment, the default is S62.614B, not S62.644B.

The X-ray report is the usual source for alignment status, so check that it says “nondisplaced” or “no displacement” in words. When imaging isn’t available at the first visit, the provider’s own note must state that the fracture is nondisplaced. Without that statement, the code falls back to the displaced default.

Documentation needed to support S62.644B

Coding S62.644B cleanly takes documentation of five clinical facts. Missing any one of them is a common reason clean claim submission fails on the first pass.

• Laterality: The note must say “right”. Without it, the coder has to fall back to a less specific code.
• Specific digit: “Ring finger” or “fourth finger”, not “finger fracture” alone. Unspecified-finger codes exist, but they aren’t S62.644B.
• Phalanx level: “Proximal phalanx”, not just “phalangeal fracture”. Nondisplaced middle and distal phalanx fractures use S62.65- and S62.66- codes.
• Open vs closed: An explicit statement that the skin over the fracture is broken, such as “open fracture” or “laceration communicating with the fracture”. Without it, the fracture defaults to closed.
• Displacement status: “Nondisplaced” or “without displacement”, in the note or the imaging report. Without it, the fracture defaults to displaced.

An ED note that reads “right ring finger open fracture, proximal phalanx, nondisplaced on X-ray” covers all five facts. A note that reads “right hand fracture, open wound, treated with washout” leaves out the digit, the phalanx level and the displacement status.

CPT codes commonly reported with S62.644B

CPT fracture codes describe the treatment, not the fracture. CPT guidelines state that an open or closed fracture has no coding link to open, closed or percutaneous treatment. So an open fracture that is washed out and splinted is still reported with a closed-treatment code. Check payment rules for each code in the CMS Physician Fee Schedule.

The treatment code should match what the operative or ED note describes, and the debridement depth should match the tissue documented. Payer policies on bundling debridement with fracture care vary, so confirm them with each carrier before submission.

Common claim denial reasons for S62.644B and how to fix them

Finger fracture claims tend to deny for predictable, preventable reasons. The denial codes attached to S62.644B claims usually trace back to one of the causes below. Find the root cause before you draft an appeal.

Workers’ compensation claims add a layer. The provider’s note must connect the fracture to a specific workplace event, not just describe the injury. Workers’ comp carriers also set their own timely filing limits, so check the carrier’s deadline before you submit a corrected claim.

Moving from S62.644B to subsequent encounter and sequela codes

Once active treatment of the open fracture is complete, B no longer applies. Later visits take a different 7th character, based on the healing status documented at that visit. Practices that follow fracture care through therapy meet this switch often.

• D (routine healing): The fracture is healing on schedule. Use it at cast removal, routine wound checks and therapy visits after active treatment has ended.
• G (delayed healing): Imaging or exam shows slower-than-expected callus without nonunion. Use it when the provider documents the delay and adjusts care.
• K (nonunion): The fragments haven’t united after enough time has passed. This often leads to surgery, so pair it with the operative CPT for nonunion repair.
• P (malunion): The fracture healed out of alignment and affects function. Use it when a corrective osteotomy is planned or performed.
• S (sequela): The fracture has healed, but a late effect remains, such as stiffness, chronic pain or scar contracture. Code the late effect first, followed by S62.644S.

Payers and auditors look for initial-encounter codes repeated across a long episode, and they read it as a documentation problem. A quick check of the 7th character at each follow-up visit keeps the episode consistent from the ED visit to discharge.

Excludes notes and coding conventions for S62.644B

Category S62 and subcategory S62.6 carry Excludes1 and Excludes2 notes that set the code’s boundaries. On a complex hand injury, confirm that none of them changes your code choice before you finalize S62.644B.

• Excludes1 (never code together): Traumatic amputation of wrist and hand (S68.-). If the finger is amputated, S68 codes apply instead of S62.644B.
• Excludes2 (may code together): Fracture of distal parts of ulna and radius (S52.-). A wrist-level forearm fracture from the same injury is coded separately with an S52 code.
• Excludes2 (may code together): Fracture of thumb (S62.5-). If the same injury also fractured the thumb, report the S62.5 code alongside S62.644B.
• External cause codes: Chapter 19 directs coders to add a Chapter 20 code for the cause of injury when it’s known. W50.0XXA, for an accidental hit or strike by another person, is one example.

An Excludes1 note is a hard stop, meaning the two conditions can’t be reported together. An Excludes2 note means the excluded condition isn’t part of this code, so both codes may appear when both conditions exist. For the full note text, check the ICD List code reference against the current tabular list.

How claims management software keeps S62.644B claims clean

Most practices code an open finger fracture from the ED note and key the claim into a separate billing tool. A wrong 7th character often surfaces weeks later as a denial. Every correction means finding the note again and resubmitting by hand.

Practice management software like Pabau keeps that work in one place. Its claims management software pre-fills each claim with patient, treatment and insurer details straight from the patient record. It also runs validation checks in the background each time you send a claim.

In the US, Pabau integrates with Claim.MD, which lets you run real-time eligibility checks and submit claims across thousands of US payers. ERA remittances post back into Pabau, so a denied fracture claim shows up against the patient with its reason attached. Your billing team corrects the 7th character and resubmits without chasing paperwork.

Streamline fracture coding and claims management

Pabau integrates with Claim.MD to submit and track claims across thousands of US payers. Catch 7th character errors early and keep S62.644 coding consistent across the episode of care.

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Conclusion

For S62.644B, the note settles most of the coding before you open the code book. If it says the skin over the fracture is broken and the fragments are aligned, B is correct at the first encounter. The Gustilo grade doesn’t change that. If it’s silent on either point, the defaults push you to a closed or displaced code instead.

So the fix sits upstream, in the ED and operative notes, not in the appeal. Build a short documentation check into your fracture workflow, and switch to D at the first routine follow-up. That trade of a minute per chart saves the rework on every denial it prevents.

Pabau’s Claim.MD integration submits and tracks these claims across thousands of US payers, so errors surface before they cost you weeks. Book a demo to see how Pabau keeps fracture claims accurate from the first visit to the last.

Continue your research

Want clearinghouse checks before a fracture claim goes out? Claim.MD clearinghouse overview explains how Claim.MD handles eligibility, claim submission and remittances.

Building a compliance routine for injury claims? Medical billing compliance guide covers documentation standards and payer requirements.

Dealing with a run of fracture denials? Denial management in healthcare walks through finding root causes and preventing repeat denials.

Need to read what the payer sent back? Electronic remittance advice explained shows how to read ERA reason codes and act on them.

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