ICD-10 Code S72.124S: Right lesser trochanter fracture, sequela

Key takeaways

S72.124S describes a nondisplaced fracture of the lesser trochanter of the right femur, sequela. It is billable for FY2025 and FY2026.

The 7th character ‘S’ means the visit treats a late effect of a healed fracture. Use ‘D’ while you are still managing the healing itself.

One digit separates the two sides. S72.125S is the same fracture on the left femur, and no payer edit will catch the swap for you.

Documentation must confirm right laterality, nondisplaced status, the lesser trochanter as the site, and a link to the prior fracture.

Practice management software like Pabau captures laterality and prior injury history at the point of care, so coders are not chasing documentation later.

ICD-10 code S72.124S is the billable diagnosis code for a nondisplaced fracture of the lesser trochanter of the right femur, sequela. Coders reach for it when a patient returns months after the fracture healed, with chronic hip pain or muscle weakness. The 7th character “S” tells the payer the visit treats the late effect.

The character that decides the claim is the 7th. Use “S” once the fracture has healed and you are treating what it left behind. Use “D” while you are still managing the healing itself. Everything below reflects the FY2026 ICD-10-CM tabular list.

ICD-10 code S72.124S: Code details at a glance

ICD-10 code S72.124S is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM diagnosis code valid for claim submission in FY2025 and FY2026. It sits in the S72.12 subcategory, which covers lesser trochanter fractures of the femur at any laterality or displacement status.

Coders in physical therapy, orthopedic surgery, and musculoskeletal rehabilitation reach for it when treating residual problems from a prior right-side fracture.

What does S72.124S mean? Breaking down the code

Every character in ICD-10 code S72.124S carries a specific clinical meaning. Misreading any one of them leads to the wrong code, which means a denial or a request for more documentation. The breakdown below maps each character to what it tells the payer.

The 6th character does double duty inside S72.12x. It records displacement status and laterality in a single digit.

• 1 – displaced, right femur
• 2 – displaced, left femur
• 3 – displaced, unspecified femur
• 4 – nondisplaced, right femur (this code)
• 5 – nondisplaced, left femur
• 6 – nondisplaced, unspecified femur

That one digit is why S72.124S and S72.125S look almost identical but describe opposite legs. The same right, left, unspecified pattern runs through the femur fracture codes. CMS ICD-10-CM guidance requires both laterality and displacement status on every one of them.

Understanding the 7th character for S72.124

A 7th character is required on every S72.124 code, and it defines the encounter type. Without it, the code is invalid and the claim rejects at the front end. The table below covers the six characters used for closed fractures and sequelae.

Open fractures of the femur use the same S72.124 base code with a different 7th character. Ten more characters cover the Gustilo open fracture types, so the base code never changes with the wound. Fixation work on those injuries is billed separately, under procedure codes such as 20690.

• B and C: initial encounter for an open fracture, type I or II and type IIIA, IIIB or IIIC
• E and F: subsequent encounter, open fracture healing routinely
• H and J: subsequent encounter, open fracture with delayed healing
• M and N: subsequent encounter, open fracture with nonunion
• Q and R: subsequent encounter, open fracture with malunion

The distinction that matters most for S72.124S is “D” against “S”. “D” applies while you are still managing how the fracture heals. “S” applies once the fracture has healed and you are treating something it caused, such as hip flexor weakness, gait change, or chronic pain.

The ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines also require a second code naming the sequela itself. Other injury subcategories follow the same convention, so a wrist sprain sequela takes S63.592S.

Clinical description: Nondisplaced lesser trochanter fracture

The lesser trochanter is a bony prominence on the posteromedial surface of the proximal femur. It serves as the insertion point for the iliopsoas muscle. Fractures here are most common in adults over 60 and are often linked to osteoporosis. In younger patients they usually follow an athletic avulsion injury.

• Nondisplaced: The fragments stay in normal anatomical alignment, with no meaningful separation or angulation. Displaced right-side fractures go to S72.121x instead.
• Right femur: Laterality is right. The left-side equivalent is S72.125x, and unspecified laterality goes to S72.126x when nondisplaced or S72.123x when displaced.
• Lesser trochanter: Distinct from the greater trochanter, which is coded under S72.11x. Mixing the two is a common documentation error that produces the wrong code.
• Sequela context: By the time S72.124S applies, the fracture itself has healed. The patient presents with a residual condition caused by that fracture, not with an active or healing injury.

For sports medicine and orthopedic practices, the clinical picture confirms whether the encounter really meets the sequela definition. The physician’s note should reference the prior fracture and connect the current complaint to it.

Approximate synonyms and clinical terminology

Medical records rarely use the exact ICD-10 phrasing. Coders meet a range of clinical descriptions that all map to S72.124S. Recognizing these synonyms prevents undercoding and wrong code selection.

• Sequela of nondisplaced fracture, lesser trochanter, right femur
• Late effect of lesser trochanter fracture, right hip
• Nondisplaced right femoral lesser trochanteric fracture, sequela
• Closed nondisplaced fracture of the lesser trochanter of the right femur, late effect
• Residual condition following right lesser trochanter fracture (nondisplaced)
• Right proximal femur fracture sequela, lesser trochanteric region, nondisplaced

When the record says only “late effect of a hip fracture” without naming the trochanteric region, query the physician before assigning a specific code. Tight documentation habits cut the chance of a payer query, which matters most on orthopedic claims reviewed under Medicare.

Practice management software like Pabau supports structured client records and note templates, so orthopedic practitioners capture that specificity at the point of care.

Related ICD-10 codes: The S72.12x family

S72.124S belongs to the S72.12 subcategory, which covers lesser trochanter fractures of the femur. Knowing the whole family helps when documentation names a different side or a different displacement status.

AAPC’s ICD-10-CM coding resources group these codes within the S72 trochanteric fracture cluster.

Every code in that table takes the full set of 7th characters. If the note specifies the left side, the sequela code is S72.125S rather than S72.124S. Greater trochanter fractures sit in a separate subcategory, S72.11x, where the 6th character 1 to 3 marks displaced and 4 to 6 marks nondisplaced.

Apophyseal fractures of the femur are different again, under S72.13x. The same 7th character logic runs through the neighboring injury subcategories, including S43.121S and S43.312S.

Documentation requirements for S72.124S

S72.124S will not survive a payer audit without complete documentation. The ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, maintained jointly by CMS and NCHS, require the most specific code the record supports. For this code, five elements have to appear in the chart.

• Confirmed sequela status: The note must state that the current condition follows a prior lesser trochanter fracture. A phrase such as “residual weakness following prior right lesser trochanter fracture” satisfies this.
• Laterality: The record must specify the right femur. “Right hip” or “right leg” alone is thin, because the site has to be identifiable as the femur.
• Displacement status: Documentation must confirm the original fracture was nondisplaced. Where displacement is not documented, the guidelines default to displaced, which moves the claim to S72.121xS.
• Fracture site: The lesser trochanter must be named. “Trochanteric fracture” on its own could mean the greater trochanter, so specificity is required.
• Prior fracture history: A reference to the original fracture, in the history, problem list, or current note, establishes the causal link sequela coding needs.

Practices that use structured intake and note workflows hit far fewer of these queries. Pabau’s digital forms let orthopedic and musculoskeletal practices build templated intake questions covering laterality, prior injury history, and the link to the current complaint. That data flows straight into the client record, so coders see it without a separate documentation request.

When to use S72.124S: Sequela vs subsequent encounter

Sequela against subsequent encounter is the most common source of 7th character errors in hip fracture coding. Both “D” and “S” describe visits after the original injury, but the clinical situations are different. Picking the wrong one is a coding error that can prompt a denial or an audit.

Per CDC and NCHS ICD-10-CM guidance, sequela coding also needs an additional code naming the late effect. If the sequela is chronic pain, for example, G89.21 may belong alongside S72.124S.

Rehabilitation visits for these patients bring their own procedure codes, such as G0283. Confirm with the treating clinician which secondary diagnosis code fits the current complaint.

Common coding errors and how to avoid them

Orthopedic fracture coding generates more payer queries than most specialties. Errors involving S72.124S fall into five predictable patterns.

• Coding the wrong side: S72.125S is the left femur, and the two codes differ by one digit. No payer edit compares the code against the note, so a transposed digit ships clean and denies later.
• Using S72.124D instead of S72.124S for late effects: Once the fracture has healed and the visit treats a residual condition, “D” no longer fits. Fracture management is finished, and sequela treatment has started.
• Dropping to an unspecified code: Some coders reach for S72.126xS when the note says only “right hip.” A query is safer than an unspecified code that a payer may downcode.
• Confusing greater and lesser trochanter: S72.11x covers the greater trochanter and S72.12x covers the lesser. A dictated “trochanteric fracture sequela” needs clarification before you assign either.
• Omitting the secondary sequela code: ICD-10-CM convention requires a code for the nature of the sequela. S72.124S submitted alone, with nothing naming the current complaint, is incomplete.

A pre-submission check catches most of these before the claim leaves the building. Physical therapy practice management software that connects documentation to billing can flag a missing laterality or a missing secondary code. It does that while the encounter is still open.

Excludes notes and coding conventions

The S72 category carries several Excludes notes that shape when S72.124S can be used and what can sit beside it. These conventions come straight from the ICD-10-CM tabular list, and payer claim editing systems enforce them. Ignoring one generates an edit that flags the claim for manual review.

Excludes1 notes (cannot code together)

S72 has an Excludes1 note for traumatic amputation of the hip and thigh (S78.-). S72.124S therefore cannot be reported on the same claim as a traumatic amputation code for the hip and thigh. Excludes1 means the two conditions do not occur together, so documentation suggesting both calls for a physician query.

Excludes2 notes (may code together when both present)

S72 carries Excludes2 notes for three conditions.

• Fracture of lower leg and ankle (S82.-)
• Fracture of foot (S92.-)
• Periprosthetic fracture of prosthetic implant of hip (M97.0-)

Any of them can be reported with S72.124S when both conditions are documented and clinically relevant. An Excludes2 note means the conditions are not mutually exclusive. They are simply classified somewhere other than S72.

“Use additional code” instructions

Sequela encounters using S72.124S require an additional code naming the nature of the sequela. Common pairings include chronic pain codes such as G89.21 and G89.28, and M62.x codes for muscle weakness.

Always confirm which secondary code best describes the presenting complaint. The Official Guidelines require coding to the highest level of specificity the documentation supports.

S72.124S code history and annual updates

ICD-10-CM codes are updated every October 1 by CMS and NCHS. The table below shows the validity history for S72.124S across recent fiscal years. No change to the description or validity of this code appears in the published CMS update files for FY2025 or FY2026.

Verify current-year validity against the official CMS annual update files before each October 1 coding cycle. Those files publish the full tabular list plus every addition, deletion, and description change for the fiscal year.

How Pabau keeps sequela documentation claim-ready

The laterality problem usually surfaces at the worst possible moment. The coder opens the note days after the visit and finds “right hip pain” with no reference to the old fracture. A query then goes back to the clinician. The claim sits while the encounter ages, and the patient has long since gone home.

Pabau moves that check to the point of care. Structured note templates and intake forms prompt for the injured side, the displacement status, and the date of the original fracture. The patient is still in the room when those fields get filled. Coders then open a complete note instead of writing a query.

Pabau’s claims management software then checks the claim before it goes out. A missing secondary sequela code or an absent laterality surfaces inside the practice. You fix it there, not on a remittance advice weeks later.

Catch coding errors before the claim is submitted

Pabau helps orthopedic and musculoskeletal practices capture what codes like S72.124S require: laterality, displacement status, prior injury history, and sequela confirmation. It all gets structured at the point of care, not after a payer query.

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Conclusion

Documentation is where S72.124S usually fails. When the note never connects the current complaint to the prior lesser trochanter fracture, the “S” 7th character will not hold up. The claim then risks denial or audit.

The second failure is quieter. A right-side fracture coded as S72.125S reads as a clean claim until someone compares it against the chart.

Build the check into the encounter rather than the appeal. Laterality, displacement status, and prior fracture history belong in the note while the patient is still in the room. Book a demo to see how Pabau supports accurate orthopedic coding.

Continue your research

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