{"id":177787,"date":"2026-08-14T08:57:25","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T08:57:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pabau.com\/?p=177787"},"modified":"2026-08-14T13:26:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T13:26:49","slug":"icd-10-code-s72452q","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pabau.com\/nl\/diagnostic-codes\/icd-10-code-s72452q\/","title":{"rendered":"ICD-10 code S72.452Q: Left femur supracondylar fracture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"MedicalWebPage\",\"headline\":\"ICD-10 code S72.452Q: Left femur supracondylar fracture, malunion\",\"description\":\"ICD-10 code S72.452Q (Displaced supracondylar fracture without intracondylar extension of lower end of left femur, subsequent encounter for open fracture type I or II with malunion). Full code reference for orthopedic coders.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/diagnostic-codes\/icd-10-code-s72452q\/\",\"audience\":{\"@type\":\"MedicalAudience\",\"audienceType\":\"Clinician\"},\"reviewedBy\":{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Dr Vanja Kitanova\",\"jobTitle\":\"Medical Reviewer\",\"affiliation\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"Pabau\"},\"knowsAbout\":[\"Medical Coding\",\"Clinical Documentation\",\"Healthcare Billing\",\"Clinical Safety\"],\"sameAs\":\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/blog\/author\/vanja\/\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-25\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-14\"}<\/script>\n\n\n        <div id=\"key_takeaways\">\n            <div class=\"header\">\n                                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Key-Takeaways-Icon.svg\" alt=\"Key takeaways\" height=\"42\" width=\"42\">\n                                <h3>Key takeaways<\/h3>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"list\">\n                                                            <div class=\"item\">\n                            <div>\n                                <svg width=\"20\" height=\"27\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 27\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                                    <path\n                                        d=\"M18.6223 14.3857C19.1246 13.8975 19.1246 13.1045 18.6223 12.6162L12.1938 6.36621C11.6915 5.87793 10.8759 5.87793 10.3737 6.36621C9.87143 6.85449 9.87143 7.64746 10.3737 8.13574L14.6125 12.2529H2.28571C1.57455 12.2529 1 12.8115 1 13.5029C1 14.1943 1.57455 14.7529 2.28571 14.7529H14.6085L10.3777 18.8701C9.87545 19.3584 9.87545 20.1514 10.3777 20.6396C10.8799 21.1279 11.6955 21.1279 12.1978 20.6396L18.6263 14.3896L18.6223 14.3857Z\"\n                                        fill=\"#3D3D46\" \/>\n                                <\/svg>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <p>ICD-10 code S72.452Q covers a displaced supracondylar fracture of the lower left femur, without intracondylar extension.<\/p>\n                        <\/div>\n                                                                                <div class=\"item\">\n                            <div>\n                                <svg width=\"20\" height=\"27\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 27\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                                    <path\n                                        d=\"M18.6223 14.3857C19.1246 13.8975 19.1246 13.1045 18.6223 12.6162L12.1938 6.36621C11.6915 5.87793 10.8759 5.87793 10.3737 6.36621C9.87143 6.85449 9.87143 7.64746 10.3737 8.13574L14.6125 12.2529H2.28571C1.57455 12.2529 1 12.8115 1 13.5029C1 14.1943 1.57455 14.7529 2.28571 14.7529H14.6085L10.3777 18.8701C9.87545 19.3584 9.87545 20.1514 10.3777 20.6396C10.8799 21.1279 11.6955 21.1279 12.1978 20.6396L18.6263 14.3896L18.6223 14.3857Z\"\n                                        fill=\"#3D3D46\" \/>\n                                <\/svg>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <p>The 7th character Q marks a subsequent encounter for an open type I or II fracture that healed with malunion.<\/p>\n                        <\/div>\n                                                                                <div class=\"item\">\n                            <div>\n                                <svg width=\"20\" height=\"27\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 27\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                                    <path\n                                        d=\"M18.6223 14.3857C19.1246 13.8975 19.1246 13.1045 18.6223 12.6162L12.1938 6.36621C11.6915 5.87793 10.8759 5.87793 10.3737 6.36621C9.87143 6.85449 9.87143 7.64746 10.3737 8.13574L14.6125 12.2529H2.28571C1.57455 12.2529 1 12.8115 1 13.5029C1 14.1943 1.57455 14.7529 2.28571 14.7529H14.6085L10.3777 18.8701C9.87545 19.3584 9.87545 20.1514 10.3777 20.6396C10.8799 21.1279 11.6955 21.1279 12.1978 20.6396L18.6263 14.3896L18.6223 14.3857Z\"\n                                        fill=\"#3D3D46\" \/>\n                                <\/svg>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <p>If the fracture line reaches the condyles, the code moves to the S72.46 family, so left-side malunion becomes S72.462Q.<\/p>\n                        <\/div>\n                                                                                <div class=\"item\">\n                            <div>\n                                <svg width=\"20\" height=\"27\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 27\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                                    <path\n                                        d=\"M18.6223 14.3857C19.1246 13.8975 19.1246 13.1045 18.6223 12.6162L12.1938 6.36621C11.6915 5.87793 10.8759 5.87793 10.3737 6.36621C9.87143 6.85449 9.87143 7.64746 10.3737 8.13574L14.6125 12.2529H2.28571C1.57455 12.2529 1 12.8115 1 13.5029C1 14.1943 1.57455 14.7529 2.28571 14.7529H14.6085L10.3777 18.8701C9.87545 19.3584 9.87545 20.1514 10.3777 20.6396C10.8799 21.1279 11.6955 21.1279 12.1978 20.6396L18.6263 14.3896L18.6223 14.3857Z\"\n                                        fill=\"#3D3D46\" \/>\n                                <\/svg>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <p>A Gustilo type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC malunion takes character R, and a closed malunion takes P.<\/p>\n                        <\/div>\n                                                                                <div class=\"item\">\n                            <div>\n                                <svg width=\"20\" height=\"27\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 27\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                                    <path\n                                        d=\"M18.6223 14.3857C19.1246 13.8975 19.1246 13.1045 18.6223 12.6162L12.1938 6.36621C11.6915 5.87793 10.8759 5.87793 10.3737 6.36621C9.87143 6.85449 9.87143 7.64746 10.3737 8.13574L14.6125 12.2529H2.28571C1.57455 12.2529 1 12.8115 1 13.5029C1 14.1943 1.57455 14.7529 2.28571 14.7529H14.6085L10.3777 18.8701C9.87545 19.3584 9.87545 20.1514 10.3777 20.6396C10.8799 21.1279 11.6955 21.1279 12.1978 20.6396L18.6263 14.3896L18.6223 14.3857Z\"\n                                        fill=\"#3D3D46\" \/>\n                                <\/svg>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <p>S72.452Q is billable and valid for FY2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.<\/p>\n                        <\/div>\n                                                                                <div class=\"item\">\n                            <div>\n                                <svg width=\"20\" height=\"27\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 27\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                                    <path\n                                        d=\"M18.6223 14.3857C19.1246 13.8975 19.1246 13.1045 18.6223 12.6162L12.1938 6.36621C11.6915 5.87793 10.8759 5.87793 10.3737 6.36621C9.87143 6.85449 9.87143 7.64746 10.3737 8.13574L14.6125 12.2529H2.28571C1.57455 12.2529 1 12.8115 1 13.5029C1 14.1943 1.57455 14.7529 2.28571 14.7529H14.6085L10.3777 18.8701C9.87545 19.3584 9.87545 20.1514 10.3777 20.6396C10.8799 21.1279 11.6955 21.1279 12.1978 20.6396L18.6263 14.3896L18.6223 14.3857Z\"\n                                        fill=\"#3D3D46\" \/>\n                                <\/svg>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <p>Practice management software like Pabau keeps the diagnosis code attached to the note it came from.<\/p>\n                        <\/div>\n                                                <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    \n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ICD-10 code S72.452Q is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for a distal femur fracture seen after active treatment. Its full description is a displaced supracondylar fracture without intracondylar extension of the lower end of the left femur. The 7th character Q adds the rest of the picture. It marks a subsequent encounter for an open type I or II fracture with malunion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every element of that description does work. The fracture is displaced, so the bone ends have shifted out of alignment. It sits above the femoral condyles and stops there, because the fracture line never reaches the joint surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The injury is on the left side. It was open at Gustilo type I or II severity on the day it happened. At this visit the bone has united in a faulty position, which is malunion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One word decides half of this code. A supracondylar fracture that does extend into the condyles belongs to S72.46 rather than S72.45. The <a href=\"https:\/\/icd10cmtool.cdc.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC\/NCHS ICD-10-CM web tool<\/a> confirms S72.452Q as a valid, billable code under the current tabular list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"ICD-10 Revisions: Stay Updated or Fall Behind\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bqAyb-BCA0w?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-code-details-at-a-glance\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Code details at a glance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Use the table below to check S72.452Q before you submit a claim. Every field in it has to match the clinical record, not just the code description.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0;border-radius:12px;overflow:hidden;font-size:15px;line-height:1.5;margin:1.5em 0 2em;box-shadow:0 2px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.08)\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"background:#121D36;color:#fff;padding:14px 16px;text-align:left;font-weight:600;font-size:14px;letter-spacing:0.3px;border-bottom:2px solid #2BADD4\">Field<\/th>\n<th style=\"background:#121D36;color:#fff;padding:14px 16px;text-align:left;font-weight:600;font-size:14px;letter-spacing:0.3px;border-bottom:2px solid #2BADD4\">Value<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">Code<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">S72.452Q<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">Full description<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Displaced supracondylar fracture without intracondylar extension of lower end of left femur, subsequent encounter for open fracture type I or II with malunion<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">Code system<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">ICD-10-CM (US clinical modification)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">Billable<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Yes, can be submitted on HIPAA-covered claims<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">Valid date range<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">FY2026: October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">Chapter<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">19: Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">Parent codes<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">S72.45 and S72.452, neither billable on its own<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">Laterality<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Left<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">Displacement<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Displaced<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">Encounter type<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Subsequent encounter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">Open fracture grade<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Gustilo type I or II<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">Healing status<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Malunion<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cms.gov\/medicare\/coding-billing\/icd-10-codes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CMS ICD-10 code files<\/a> carry the yearly updates, so check the descriptor each October. Billable status does not promise payment either, because coverage still varies by payer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-anatomy-of-a-displaced-supracondylar-fracture-without-intracondylar-extension\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Anatomy of a displaced supracondylar fracture without intracondylar extension<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The supracondylar region sits at the lower end of the femur, just above the two femoral condyles. A fracture there is extra-articular when the line stays above the joint. The word without in the descriptor records exactly that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once the fracture line runs down into the intercondylar notch or the condylar articular surface, the injury is intra-articular. ICD-10-CM moves it to a separate subcategory, S72.46. The difference changes surgical planning as well as the code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Displacement is the second variable. A displaced fracture means the bone fragments have moved out of their normal position. Laterality is the third, and it is required whenever the surgeon documents a side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Supracondylar region:<\/strong> lower femur, above the femoral condyles<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Without intracondylar extension:<\/strong> the fracture line stops short of the joint surface (S72.45)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>With intracondylar extension:<\/strong> the line enters the condyles, which codes to S72.46<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Displaced:<\/strong> fragments out of alignment, as opposed to nondisplaced (S72.455 on the left)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Left femur:<\/strong> the right-side equivalent is S72.451Q<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Orthopedic teams working in <a href=\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/features\/medical-records-management\/\">structured clinical records<\/a> can hold the fracture pattern, the side, and the Gustilo grade in one place. That saves a coder from piecing together the injury from a discharge summary months later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.pabau.com\/cdn\/attachments\/pulse\/content-engine\/diagnostic_codes\/icd-10-code-s72452q\/comprehensive-emr-patient-record-management.webp\" alt=\"Comprehensive EMR and patient record management\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Pabau&#8217;s patient record keeps the operative report, the Gustilo grade, and the diagnosis code together.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:35px;width:800px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-how-the-7th-character-works-in-the-s72-45-group\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How the 7th character works in the S72.45 group<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 7th character is the densest part of this code. It records the encounter, whether the fracture was open or closed, and how the bone has healed. Q means subsequent encounter, open type I or II, with malunion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The S72.45 subcategory has 16 characters available. The letters I, L, and O are never used, because they read too easily as digits. The full grid below is the fastest way to land on the right letter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0;border-radius:12px;overflow:hidden;font-size:15px;line-height:1.5;margin:1.5em 0 2em;box-shadow:0 2px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.08)\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"background:#121D36;color:#fff;padding:14px 16px;text-align:left;font-weight:600;font-size:14px;letter-spacing:0.3px;border-bottom:2px solid #2BADD4\">Character<\/th>\n<th style=\"background:#121D36;color:#fff;padding:14px 16px;text-align:left;font-weight:600;font-size:14px;letter-spacing:0.3px;border-bottom:2px solid #2BADD4\">Encounter<\/th>\n<th style=\"background:#121D36;color:#fff;padding:14px 16px;text-align:left;font-weight:600;font-size:14px;letter-spacing:0.3px;border-bottom:2px solid #2BADD4\">Fracture at injury<\/th>\n<th style=\"background:#121D36;color:#fff;padding:14px 16px;text-align:left;font-weight:600;font-size:14px;letter-spacing:0.3px;border-bottom:2px solid #2BADD4\">Healing status<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">A<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Initial<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Closed<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Not applicable<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">B<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Initial<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Open type I or II<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Not applicable<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">C<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Initial<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Open type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Not applicable<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">D<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Subsequent<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Closed<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Routine healing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">E<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Subsequent<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Open type I or II<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Routine healing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">F<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Subsequent<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Open type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Routine healing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">G<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Subsequent<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Closed<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Delayed healing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">H<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Subsequent<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Open type I or II<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Delayed healing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">J<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Subsequent<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Open type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Delayed healing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">K<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Subsequent<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Closed<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Nonunion<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">M<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Subsequent<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Open type I or II<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Nonunion<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">N<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Subsequent<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Open type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Nonunion<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">P<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Subsequent<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Closed<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Malunion<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\"><strong>Q<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\"><strong>Subsequent<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\"><strong>Open type I or II<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\"><strong>Malunion<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">R<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Subsequent<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Open type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Malunion<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">S<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Sequela<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Not applicable<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Late effect<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Read the grid in threes and the pattern gets easy. Each healing state has one closed character and two open ones, split at Gustilo type II. Malunion runs P, Q, and R, so Q is the middle option rather than the severe one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-gustilo-classification-and-the-character-it-drives\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gustilo classification and the character it drives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Gustilo-Anderson system grades open fractures by wound size, contamination, and soft tissue coverage. ICD-10-CM uses that grade to pick between the two open characters in each healing state. S72.452Q applies only when the original wound was type I or II.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0;border-radius:12px;overflow:hidden;font-size:15px;line-height:1.5;margin:1.5em 0 2em;box-shadow:0 2px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.08)\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"background:#121D36;color:#fff;padding:14px 16px;text-align:left;font-weight:600;font-size:14px;letter-spacing:0.3px;border-bottom:2px solid #2BADD4\">Gustilo type<\/th>\n<th style=\"background:#121D36;color:#fff;padding:14px 16px;text-align:left;font-weight:600;font-size:14px;letter-spacing:0.3px;border-bottom:2px solid #2BADD4\">Wound<\/th>\n<th style=\"background:#121D36;color:#fff;padding:14px 16px;text-align:left;font-weight:600;font-size:14px;letter-spacing:0.3px;border-bottom:2px solid #2BADD4\">Soft tissue<\/th>\n<th style=\"background:#121D36;color:#fff;padding:14px 16px;text-align:left;font-weight:600;font-size:14px;letter-spacing:0.3px;border-bottom:2px solid #2BADD4\">Malunion character (left femur)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">I<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Under 1 cm, clean<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Minimal damage, simple fracture pattern<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Q (S72.452Q)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">II<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Over 1 cm<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Moderate damage, no extensive loss or flap<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Q (S72.452Q)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">IIIA<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Usually extensive<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Extensive damage, bone coverage still adequate<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">R (S72.452R)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">IIIB<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Usually extensive<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Soft tissue loss, periosteal stripping, needs flap coverage<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">R (S72.452R)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">IIIC<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Any size<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Any degree of injury with arterial damage needing repair<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">R (S72.452R)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">Closed fracture<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">No wound<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Skin intact over the fracture<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">P (S72.452P)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The surgeon assigns the grade, never the coder. Practices running <a href=\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/features\/compliance-management-software\/\">documentation compliance checks<\/a> can flag operative notes that record an open fracture with no grade. That query is far cheaper before you submit the claim than after a denial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One rule saves most of these claims. The grade is set at the injury and carries forward unchanged, so a follow-up visit never re-grades the wound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-malunion-nonunion-and-delayed-healing-in-the-s72-452-family\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Malunion, nonunion, and delayed healing in the S72.452 family<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These three healing states look similar in a chart and take three different characters. The treating provider decides which one applies, and the coder follows that statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Malunion<\/strong> means the fracture has united, but in a faulty position. The bone ends have joined and the alignment is wrong. That is the state S72.452Q reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nonunion<\/strong> means the fracture never united within the expected time, the state <a href=\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/diagnostic-codes\/icd-10-code-s72334n\/\">S72.334N<\/a> reports further up the femoral shaft. <strong>Delayed healing<\/strong> means union is still moving along, only slower than expected. Neither one has the healed-but-crooked picture that malunion describes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0;border-radius:12px;overflow:hidden;font-size:15px;line-height:1.5;margin:1.5em 0 2em;box-shadow:0 2px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.08)\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"background:#121D36;color:#fff;padding:14px 16px;text-align:left;font-weight:600;font-size:14px;letter-spacing:0.3px;border-bottom:2px solid #2BADD4\">Healing status<\/th>\n<th style=\"background:#121D36;color:#fff;padding:14px 16px;text-align:left;font-weight:600;font-size:14px;letter-spacing:0.3px;border-bottom:2px solid #2BADD4\">Clinical meaning<\/th>\n<th style=\"background:#121D36;color:#fff;padding:14px 16px;text-align:left;font-weight:600;font-size:14px;letter-spacing:0.3px;border-bottom:2px solid #2BADD4\">Code (left, open type I or II)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">Routine healing<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Healing on schedule at the follow-up visit<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">S72.452E<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">Delayed healing<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Union is slower than expected but progressing<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">S72.452H<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">Nonunion<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">The fracture has failed to unite<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">S72.452M<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">Malunion<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">The fracture has united in a faulty position<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">S72.452Q<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Swap the open type I or II grade for a closed fracture and the same four states become D, G, K, and P instead. Swap it for type IIIA to IIIC and they become F, J, N, and R.<\/p>\n\n\n        <div id=\"pro_tip\">\n            <div class=\"img\">\n                <svg width=\"42\" height=\"42\" viewBox=\"0 0 42 42\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\n                        d=\"M12.6383 19.5238C12.6632 21.2071 12.8734 22.9926 12.0685 24.5523C11.0341 26.8917 8.45076 28.169 7.56292 30.5918C6.63082 33.1061 7.19505 36.185 9.31371 37.9786C10.929 39.5678 13.4183 39.9873 15.6061 39.5463C17.4592 39.073 19.1049 37.8388 19.9706 36.1608C20.781 34.7141 20.7866 32.9904 20.5293 31.3985C20.1006 29.3092 18.3775 27.8705 16.9807 26.362C14.8814 24.1005 14.6684 20.6854 15.595 17.8915C16.4331 15.4768 19.0026 14.2344 20.0425 11.9461C20.7202 10.6769 20.7506 9.20327 20.6068 7.81304C20.1864 5.40098 18.3139 3.23631 15.8716 2.56674C13.9742 2.03969 11.8224 2.30052 10.1739 3.37614C8.70522 4.34688 7.5878 5.86618 7.28356 7.58178C6.76081 9.82981 7.53525 12.2822 9.20307 13.9118C10.7658 15.4741 12.4806 17.2273 12.6383 19.5238Z\"\n                        fill=\"#2BADD4\" \/>\n                    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\n                        d=\"M22.7048 19.8387C22.6822 22.3279 24.4507 24.6234 26.7493 25.4682C28.0531 25.961 29.4725 25.9183 30.7989 25.5487C32.0575 24.9955 33.301 24.2237 34.0069 23.0092C34.8384 21.5811 35.2982 19.8286 34.7832 18.2094C34.3611 16.2507 32.8739 14.6541 31.0275 13.9426C28.6736 12.9595 25.8073 13.7942 24.1719 15.7001C23.2022 16.8366 22.6143 18.3326 22.7048 19.8387Z\"\n                        fill=\"#2BADD4\" \/>\n                <\/svg>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"text\">\n                <h3>Pro Tip<\/h3>\n                <p>In a follow-up note, phrases like healing in varus, malalignment, or angular deformity point to malunion, which is character Q here. Persistent fracture line, hypertrophic nonunion, or bone grafting for failed union point to nonunion and character M.<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    \n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-adjacent-and-related-codes-to-s72-452q\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Adjacent and related codes to S72.452Q<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">S72.452Q sits in the S72.45 subcategory, which covers supracondylar fractures without intracondylar extension. The codes nearest to it differ by one variable each. Knowing which variable moved makes the right pick obvious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0;border-radius:12px;overflow:hidden;font-size:15px;line-height:1.5;margin:1.5em 0 2em;box-shadow:0 2px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.08)\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"background:#121D36;color:#fff;padding:14px 16px;text-align:left;font-weight:600;font-size:14px;letter-spacing:0.3px;border-bottom:2px solid #2BADD4\">Code<\/th>\n<th style=\"background:#121D36;color:#fff;padding:14px 16px;text-align:left;font-weight:600;font-size:14px;letter-spacing:0.3px;border-bottom:2px solid #2BADD4\">Description<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">S72.451Q<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Same injury and 7th character, right femur<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">S72.453Q<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Same injury and 7th character, side not documented<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">S72.455Q<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Nondisplaced instead of displaced, left femur, same 7th character<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">S72.462Q<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Same 7th character, but the fracture extends into the condyles<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">S72.452R<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Left femur malunion after an open type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC fracture<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">S72.452P<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Left femur malunion after a closed fracture<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">S72.452M<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Left femur nonunion after an open type I or II fracture<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">S72.452B<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Left femur, initial encounter for an open type I or II fracture<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">S72.452S<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Left femur, sequela of the fracture<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aapc.com\/codes\/icd-10-codes-range\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">AAPC Codify ICD-10-CM lookup<\/a> is useful for checking a descriptor before a claim goes out. For the initial-encounter end of a femur fracture, <a href=\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/diagnostic-codes\/icd-10-code-s72041b\/\">S72.041B<\/a> walks through the same open-fracture logic at the first visit. Teams with <a href=\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/features\/claims-management-software\/\">claims tracking<\/a> in one system can spot a pattern of sibling-code denials early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.pabau.com\/cdn\/attachments\/pulse\/content-engine\/diagnostic_codes\/icd-10-code-s72452q\/automate-claims-through-healthcode.webp\" alt=\"Automate claims and billing with Pabau\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Pabau submits and tracks claims, so a denial on a subsequent-encounter code surfaces within days.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:35px;width:800px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-s72-452q-in-the-icd-10-cm-code-hierarchy\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">S72.452Q in the ICD-10-CM code hierarchy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Walking the hierarchy shows why a shorter code will not do. Each level adds one clinical fact, and only the seventh character makes a code you can submit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>S00-T88<\/strong> &#8211; Chapter 19, injury and poisoning<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>S72<\/strong> &#8211; Fracture of femur<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>S72.4<\/strong> &#8211; Fracture of lower end of femur<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>S72.45<\/strong> &#8211; Supracondylar fracture without intracondylar extension of lower end of femur<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>S72.452<\/strong> &#8211; Displaced supracondylar fracture without intracondylar extension of lower end of left femur<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>S72.452Q<\/strong> &#8211; Subsequent encounter for open fracture type I or II with malunion<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Note the two codes that will reject on their own. S72.45 has no laterality or displacement, and S72.452 has no 7th character. Both are header codes rather than billable diagnoses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Follow-up for a distal femur malunion usually runs across several settings. Surgical review, imaging, and <a href=\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/industry\/physical-therapy-emr\/\">rehabilitation visits<\/a> each need the same 7th character, so the healing status has to be current in the note every time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-approximate-synonyms-and-clinical-terms\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Approximate synonyms and clinical terms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dictated notes rarely use tabular wording. The phrases below all describe the case that S72.452Q reports, and none of them appears word for word in the tabular list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Malunion of a displaced left supracondylar femur fracture, previously open<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Extra-articular distal femur fracture, left, healed in malalignment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Left supracondylar femoral fracture, Gustilo grade I or II, angular deformity after union<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Healed left distal femur fracture in varus, follow-up encounter<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Left supracondylar femur fracture, open grade II, malunited<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Displaced left supracondylar femur fracture above the condyles, malunion on follow-up radiographs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Three terms look like synonyms but code elsewhere. An intercondylar or T-condylar distal femur fracture involves the joint surface and codes to S72.46. A lateral condyle fracture codes to S72.42, and a medial condyle fracture to S72.43. The same character logic follows, so a right-side medial condyle malunion after an open type III fracture is <a href=\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/diagnostic-codes\/icd-10-code-s72431r\/\">S72.431R<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Distal femoral physeal separation is a fourth trap. That injury sits in S72.44, the lower epiphysis subcategory, even though clinicians often describe it as a distal femur fracture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-sequencing-rules-for-a-subsequent-fracture-encounter\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sequencing rules for a subsequent fracture encounter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Follow-up fracture care has its own sequencing conventions in the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines. Getting them wrong is a common source of rejected orthopedic claims, even when the fracture code itself is correct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Do not use an aftercare Z code for fracture follow-up, and report the injury code with a subsequent-encounter 7th character instead<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sequence the fracture code first, then any external cause code from Chapter 20 as a secondary code<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Carry the Gustilo grade documented at the injury forward to every later encounter<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep laterality identical across encounters, because a switched side reads as a new injury<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reserve S72.452S for a late effect, and code the residual condition first<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">External cause reporting is not optional in every state or payer contract, so check local rules. The same chapter-level conventions govern the head injuries that often come with a high-energy femur fracture, including <a href=\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/diagnostic-codes\/icd-10-code-s066x1d\/\">S06.6X1D<\/a>. When the injury has resolved into a residual deformity, <a href=\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/diagnostic-codes\/icd-10-code-s72411s\/\">S72.411S<\/a> shows how the sequela character behaves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-documentation-requirements-for-s72-452q\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Documentation requirements for S72.452Q<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Six facts must appear in the record before this code is safe to assign. Miss one and the coder either queries the provider or drops to a less specific code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Laterality:<\/strong> documented as the left femur<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fracture site:<\/strong> supracondylar, with a statement that the line does not extend into the condyles<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Displacement:<\/strong> confirmed as displaced rather than nondisplaced<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Open fracture grade:<\/strong> Gustilo type I or II, recorded by the treating surgeon at the injury<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Encounter type:<\/strong> a follow-up visit after active fracture treatment has finished<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Healing status:<\/strong> malunion stated by the provider, not inferred from an imaging report<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The cheapest place to fix this is the first encounter. <a href=\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/features\/patient-intake-software\/\">Custom clinical forms<\/a> can require the side, the displacement, and the open fracture grade before the note can be signed. Every later visit then carries forward facts that a coder would otherwise chase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.pabau.com\/cdn\/attachments\/pulse\/content-engine\/diagnostic_codes\/icd-10-code-s72452q\/customizable-consent-and-intake-forms.webp\" alt=\"Customizable consent and intake forms\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>A custom fracture form in Pabau prompts the surgeon to record laterality, displacement, and Gustilo grade.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:35px;width:800px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n        <div id=\"pro_tip\">\n            <div class=\"img\">\n                <svg width=\"42\" height=\"42\" viewBox=\"0 0 42 42\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\n                        d=\"M12.6383 19.5238C12.6632 21.2071 12.8734 22.9926 12.0685 24.5523C11.0341 26.8917 8.45076 28.169 7.56292 30.5918C6.63082 33.1061 7.19505 36.185 9.31371 37.9786C10.929 39.5678 13.4183 39.9873 15.6061 39.5463C17.4592 39.073 19.1049 37.8388 19.9706 36.1608C20.781 34.7141 20.7866 32.9904 20.5293 31.3985C20.1006 29.3092 18.3775 27.8705 16.9807 26.362C14.8814 24.1005 14.6684 20.6854 15.595 17.8915C16.4331 15.4768 19.0026 14.2344 20.0425 11.9461C20.7202 10.6769 20.7506 9.20327 20.6068 7.81304C20.1864 5.40098 18.3139 3.23631 15.8716 2.56674C13.9742 2.03969 11.8224 2.30052 10.1739 3.37614C8.70522 4.34688 7.5878 5.86618 7.28356 7.58178C6.76081 9.82981 7.53525 12.2822 9.20307 13.9118C10.7658 15.4741 12.4806 17.2273 12.6383 19.5238Z\"\n                        fill=\"#2BADD4\" \/>\n                    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\n                        d=\"M22.7048 19.8387C22.6822 22.3279 24.4507 24.6234 26.7493 25.4682C28.0531 25.961 29.4725 25.9183 30.7989 25.5487C32.0575 24.9955 33.301 24.2237 34.0069 23.0092C34.8384 21.5811 35.2982 19.8286 34.7832 18.2094C34.3611 16.2507 32.8739 14.6541 31.0275 13.9426C28.6736 12.9595 25.8073 13.7942 24.1719 15.7001C23.2022 16.8366 22.6143 18.3326 22.7048 19.8387Z\"\n                        fill=\"#2BADD4\" \/>\n                <\/svg>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"text\">\n                <h3>Pro Tip<\/h3>\n                <p>Query the surgeon whenever a note says only distal femur fracture. S72.45 covers a supracondylar fracture without intracondylar extension, S72.46 covers one with it, and S72.40 is unspecified. Only the first two support a specific claim.<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    \n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-cpt-codes-commonly-paired-with-icd-10-code-s72-452q\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">CPT codes commonly paired with ICD-10 code S72.452Q<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A documented malunion usually brings either corrective surgery or continued follow-up. The procedures below are the ones that most often appear on a claim alongside this diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0;border-radius:12px;overflow:hidden;font-size:15px;line-height:1.5;margin:1.5em 0 2em;box-shadow:0 2px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.08)\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"background:#121D36;color:#fff;padding:14px 16px;text-align:left;font-weight:600;font-size:14px;letter-spacing:0.3px;border-bottom:2px solid #2BADD4\">CPT code<\/th>\n<th style=\"background:#121D36;color:#fff;padding:14px 16px;text-align:left;font-weight:600;font-size:14px;letter-spacing:0.3px;border-bottom:2px solid #2BADD4\">Descriptor<\/th>\n<th style=\"background:#121D36;color:#fff;padding:14px 16px;text-align:left;font-weight:600;font-size:14px;letter-spacing:0.3px;border-bottom:2px solid #2BADD4\">When it pairs with S72.452Q<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">27470<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Repair, nonunion or malunion, femur, distal to head and neck; without graft<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Corrective surgery with no bone graft harvested<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">27472<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Repair, nonunion or malunion, femur, distal to head and neck; with autogenous bone graft<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">The same repair when the surgeon obtains and places a graft<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">27448<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Osteotomy, femur, shaft or supracondylar; without fixation<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Realignment of the healed deformity without hardware<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">27450<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Osteotomy, femur, shaft or supracondylar; with fixation<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Realignment held with a plate, screws, or a nail<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/procedure-codes\/cpt-code-20680\/\">20680<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Removal of implant; deep<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Hardware from the original fixation is taken out<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0;background:#F9FAFB\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">73552<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Radiologic examination, femur, minimum 2 views<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Follow-up imaging that documents the malalignment<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #E8ECF0\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#121D36\">99212-99215<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">Office visit, established patient<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;color:#374151\">A follow-up visit, with the level set by decision making or time<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The diagnosis code alone never backs up the procedure code. Payer edits still test whether the operative note supports the work billed, so check each contract. Orthopedic and <a href=\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/industry\/sports-medicine-software\/\">sports medicine practices<\/a> that scrub claims before they submit catch most of these mismatches in-house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-common-coding-errors-to-avoid\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common coding errors to avoid<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Five mistakes account for most wrong S72.452Q claims. Each one is catchable in the chart before you submit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-1-coding-an-intra-articular-fracture-to-s72-45\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Coding an intra-articular fracture to S72.45<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the error worth checking first. S72.45 is the without intracondylar extension subcategory, so it never fits a fracture that reaches the joint surface. When the operative note describes an intercondylar split, the left-side malunion code is S72.462Q.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-2-using-q-for-a-gustilo-type-iii-malunion\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Using Q for a Gustilo type III malunion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Q stops at type II. A malunion after a type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC open fracture takes R, which gives S72.452R on the left. Trace the grade back to the original operative report rather than the follow-up note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-3-using-an-open-fracture-character-on-a-closed-injury\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Using an open fracture character on a closed injury<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Closed fractures have their own characters in every healing state. A closed left supracondylar fracture that heals in malalignment is S72.452P, not S72.452Q. Nothing in the follow-up note will flag the difference, so the injury record has to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-4-reading-delayed-healing-or-nonunion-as-malunion\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Reading delayed healing or nonunion as malunion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Malunion means the bone has united in the wrong position. Delayed healing takes H and nonunion takes M for the same open grade. If the note is unclear about union, query the provider instead of choosing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-5-using-a-subsequent-character-at-an-initial-visit\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Using a subsequent character at an initial visit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Q describes a follow-up encounter. It cannot report the visit where the fracture is first treated, debrided, or fixed. Those encounters take a character from the A to C range, with B covering an open type I or II injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each of these five is a documentation problem before it is a coding problem. A coder who can see the injury record and the follow-up note on one screen avoids all five.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-how-pabau-keeps-subsequent-encounter-coding-accurate\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Pabau keeps subsequent-encounter coding accurate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In most orthopedic practices the fracture detail and the claim live in different systems. A coder reads the operative report, finds the Gustilo grade, then retypes a code into a billing screen. Each retype is another chance to lose the 7th character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Practice management software like Pabau closes that handoff. The clinician records the fracture in a structured note, and the diagnosis code selected there travels with the claim. Nobody has to piece together the original grade from a discharge summary months later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That matters on a code like S72.452Q, where one letter separates malunion from nonunion. Required form fields can hold laterality, displacement, and open fracture grade from the first visit onward. Your team raises a query that week instead of working a denial next quarter.<\/p>\n\n\n        <div id=\"book_a_demo\">\n            <div class=\"left-side\">\n                <div class=\"logo\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\"\n                        src=\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Logo.svg\"\n                        alt=\"Logo\"\n                        loading=\"lazy\"\n                    \/>\n                <\/div>\n\n                <h3 class=\"heading\">\n                    Keep fracture codes tied to the clinical note                <\/h3>\n\n                <p class=\"description\">\n                    Pabau holds laterality, displacement, and open fracture grade in structured notes, then carries the diagnosis code your clinician selects through to the claim.                <\/p>\n\n                <div class=\"button-group\">\n                    <a href=\"\/book-demo\/\" class=\"btn btn-scale-effect btn-cta-color btn-md\">\n                        <span class=\"btn-text\">Book a demo<\/span>\n                        <div class=\"btn-icon btn-icon-right\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n                            <svg\n                                width=\"14\"\n                                height=\"12\"\n                                viewBox=\"0 0 14 12\"\n                                fill=\"none\"\n                                xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"\n                            >\n                                <path\n                                    d=\"M0.75 4.77295C0.335786 4.77295 0 5.10874 0 5.52295C0 5.93716 0.335786 6.27295 0.75 6.27295V5.52295V4.77295ZM13.2803 6.05328C13.5732 5.76039 13.5732 5.28551 13.2803 4.99262L8.50736 0.219648C8.21447 -0.073245 7.73959 -0.073245 7.4467 0.219648C7.15381 0.512542 7.15381 0.987415 7.4467 1.28031L11.6893 5.52295L7.4467 9.76559C7.15381 10.0585 7.15381 10.5334 7.4467 10.8263C7.73959 11.1191 8.21447 11.1191 8.50736 10.8263L13.2803 6.05328ZM0.75 5.52295V6.27295L12.75 6.27295V5.52295V4.77295L0.75 4.77295V5.52295Z\"\n                                    fill=\"currentColor\"\n                                ><\/path>\n                            <\/svg>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/a>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n\n            <div class=\"right-side\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\"\n                    src=\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Home-Page-Concept-4.webp\"\n                    alt=\"Pabau practice management platform\"\n                    loading=\"lazy\"\n                \/>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        \n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-conclusion\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">S72.452Q rewards practices that get the operative note right the first time. When the record names the side, the displacement, the fracture line, and the Gustilo grade, the follow-up code follows in seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The trap in this code is the word without. A fracture line that reaches the condyles belongs to S72.46. A type III open injury takes R rather than Q, and neither error looks wrong on a claim form. Both surface at audit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So build those four facts into the fracture template and let every later code carry them forward. <a href=\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/book-demo\/\">Book a demo<\/a> to see how Pabau keeps diagnosis codes attached to the documentation they came from.<\/p>\n\n\n        <div id=\"expert_picks\">\n            <div class=\"header\">\n                                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Expert-Picks.svg\" alt=\"Continue your research\" height=\"42\" width=\"42\">\n                                <h3>Continue your research<\/h3>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"content\">\n                                                            <div class=\"item\">\n                            <div>\n                                <svg width=\"20\" height=\"27\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 27\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                                    <path\n                                        d=\"M18.6223 14.3857C19.1246 13.8975 19.1246 13.1045 18.6223 12.6162L12.1938 6.36621C11.6915 5.87793 10.8759 5.87793 10.3737 6.36621C9.87143 6.85449 9.87143 7.64746 10.3737 8.13574L14.6125 12.2529H2.28571C1.57455 12.2529 1 12.8115 1 13.5029C1 14.1943 1.57455 14.7529 2.28571 14.7529H14.6085L10.3777 18.8701C9.87545 19.3584 9.87545 20.1514 10.3777 20.6396C10.8799 21.1279 11.6955 21.1279 12.1978 20.6396L18.6263 14.3896L18.6223 14.3857Z\"\n                                        fill=\"#54B2D3\" \/>\n                                <\/svg>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <p><strong>Coding the same femur fracture at the first visit?<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/diagnostic-codes\/icd-10-code-s72041b\/\">ICD-10 code S72.041B<\/a> covers the initial encounter for an open type I or II femur fracture.<\/p>\n                        <\/div>\n                                                                                <div class=\"item\">\n                            <div>\n                                <svg width=\"20\" height=\"27\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 27\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                                    <path\n                                        d=\"M18.6223 14.3857C19.1246 13.8975 19.1246 13.1045 18.6223 12.6162L12.1938 6.36621C11.6915 5.87793 10.8759 5.87793 10.3737 6.36621C9.87143 6.85449 9.87143 7.64746 10.3737 8.13574L14.6125 12.2529H2.28571C1.57455 12.2529 1 12.8115 1 13.5029C1 14.1943 1.57455 14.7529 2.28571 14.7529H14.6085L10.3777 18.8701C9.87545 19.3584 9.87545 20.1514 10.3777 20.6396C10.8799 21.1279 11.6955 21.1279 12.1978 20.6396L18.6263 14.3896L18.6223 14.3857Z\"\n                                        fill=\"#54B2D3\" \/>\n                                <\/svg>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <p><strong>Reporting a femur fracture years after the injury?<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/diagnostic-codes\/icd-10-code-s72411s\/\">ICD-10 code S72.411S<\/a> explains how the sequela character works and what it needs in the note.<\/p>\n                        <\/div>\n                                                                                <div class=\"item\">\n                            <div>\n                                <svg width=\"20\" height=\"27\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 27\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                                    <path\n                                        d=\"M18.6223 14.3857C19.1246 13.8975 19.1246 13.1045 18.6223 12.6162L12.1938 6.36621C11.6915 5.87793 10.8759 5.87793 10.3737 6.36621C9.87143 6.85449 9.87143 7.64746 10.3737 8.13574L14.6125 12.2529H2.28571C1.57455 12.2529 1 12.8115 1 13.5029C1 14.1943 1.57455 14.7529 2.28571 14.7529H14.6085L10.3777 18.8701C9.87545 19.3584 9.87545 20.1514 10.3777 20.6396C10.8799 21.1279 11.6955 21.1279 12.1978 20.6396L18.6263 14.3896L18.6223 14.3857Z\"\n                                        fill=\"#54B2D3\" \/>\n                                <\/svg>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <p><strong>Need the nonunion code in the same subcategory?<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/diagnostic-codes\/icd-10-code-s72451k\/\">ICD-10 code S72.451K<\/a> covers a right-side supracondylar fracture that failed to unite after a closed injury.<\/p>\n                        <\/div>\n                                                                                <div class=\"item\">\n                            <div>\n                                <svg width=\"20\" height=\"27\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 27\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                                    <path\n                                        d=\"M18.6223 14.3857C19.1246 13.8975 19.1246 13.1045 18.6223 12.6162L12.1938 6.36621C11.6915 5.87793 10.8759 5.87793 10.3737 6.36621C9.87143 6.85449 9.87143 7.64746 10.3737 8.13574L14.6125 12.2529H2.28571C1.57455 12.2529 1 12.8115 1 13.5029C1 14.1943 1.57455 14.7529 2.28571 14.7529H14.6085L10.3777 18.8701C9.87545 19.3584 9.87545 20.1514 10.3777 20.6396C10.8799 21.1279 11.6955 21.1279 12.1978 20.6396L18.6263 14.3896L18.6223 14.3857Z\"\n                                        fill=\"#54B2D3\" \/>\n                                <\/svg>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <p><strong>Seeing the same malunion character on another bone?<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/diagnostic-codes\/icd-10-code-s42012p\/\">ICD-10 code S42.012P<\/a> shows how character P works on a displaced left clavicle fracture.<\/p>\n                        <\/div>\n                                                                                <div class=\"item\">\n                            <div>\n                                <svg width=\"20\" height=\"27\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 27\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                                    <path\n                                        d=\"M18.6223 14.3857C19.1246 13.8975 19.1246 13.1045 18.6223 12.6162L12.1938 6.36621C11.6915 5.87793 10.8759 5.87793 10.3737 6.36621C9.87143 6.85449 9.87143 7.64746 10.3737 8.13574L14.6125 12.2529H2.28571C1.57455 12.2529 1 12.8115 1 13.5029C1 14.1943 1.57455 14.7529 2.28571 14.7529H14.6085L10.3777 18.8701C9.87545 19.3584 9.87545 20.1514 10.3777 20.6396C10.8799 21.1279 11.6955 21.1279 12.1978 20.6396L18.6263 14.3896L18.6223 14.3857Z\"\n                                        fill=\"#54B2D3\" \/>\n                                <\/svg>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <p><strong>Coding a knee-region injury that healed into a deformity?<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/diagnostic-codes\/icd-10-code-s82036s\/\">ICD-10 code S82.036S<\/a> covers the sequela of a nondisplaced transverse patella fracture.<\/p>\n                        <\/div>\n                                                <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    \n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-frequently-asked-questions\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1786616384702\"><h3 class=\"schema-faq-question\">What is ICD-10 code S72.452Q?<\/h3> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">ICD-10 code S72.452Q is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code. It describes a displaced supracondylar fracture without intracondylar extension of the lower end of the left femur. The 7th character Q sets the visit as a subsequent encounter for an open type I or II fracture that healed with malunion. The code is valid for FY2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1786616384703\"><h3 class=\"schema-faq-question\">Is S72.452Q a billable ICD-10 code?<\/h3> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Yes. S72.452Q carries all seven characters, so it can be submitted on HIPAA-covered claims. Its parent codes S72.45 and S72.452 are header codes and will reject on their own. Billable status does not promise payment, because coverage still varies by payer.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1786616384706\"><h3 class=\"schema-faq-question\">What is the difference between malunion and nonunion in fracture coding?<\/h3> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Malunion means the fracture has united in a faulty position. Nonunion means it never united within the expected time. For an open type I or II fracture of the left femur, malunion takes S72.452Q and nonunion takes S72.452M. Delayed healing is a third state and takes S72.452H, so the provider has to document which one applies.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1786616384707\"><h3 class=\"schema-faq-question\">What are the adjacent codes to S72.452Q?<\/h3> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">The nearest siblings are S72.451Q for the right femur and S72.453Q when the side is not documented. S72.455Q reports the same injury when the fracture is nondisplaced. Within the left femur code, S72.452E is routine healing, S72.452H is delayed healing, and S72.452M is nonunion. S72.452R covers malunion after an open type IIIA to IIIC fracture.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ICD-10 code S72.452Q is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for a distal femur fracture seen after active treatment. Its full description is a displaced supracondylar fracture without intracondylar extension of the lower end of the left femur. The 7th character Q adds the rest of the picture. It marks a subsequent encounter for an open [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":177785,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"82","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"30","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"[\"\",\"\",\"\",\"\"]","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_seo_original_html":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1549,1550],"tags":[1680,2775,1363,3271],"class_list":["post-177787","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diagnostic-codes","category-icd-10-cm","tag-diagnostic-codes","tag-fracture-management","tag-icd-10","tag-orthopedic-trauma"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.2 (Yoast SEO v28.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>ICD-10 code S72.452Q: Left femur supracondylar fracture<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"S72.452Q covers a displaced left supracondylar femur fracture, open type I\/II, with malunion at follow-up.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/nl\/diagnostic-codes\/icd-10-code-s72452q\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"nl_NL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"ICD-10 code S72.452Q: Left femur supracondylar fracture\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"S72.452Q covers a displaced left supracondylar femur fracture, open type I\/II, with malunion at follow-up.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/pabau.com\/nl\/diagnostic-codes\/icd-10-code-s72452q\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Pabau\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Pabau\/\" \/>\n<meta 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Billable status does not promise payment, because coverage still varies by payer.\",\"inLanguage\":\"nl-NL\"},\"inLanguage\":\"nl-NL\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/pabau.com\\\/nl\\\/diagnostic-codes\\\/icd-10-code-s72452q\\\/#faq-question-1786616384706\",\"position\":3,\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/pabau.com\\\/nl\\\/diagnostic-codes\\\/icd-10-code-s72452q\\\/#faq-question-1786616384706\",\"name\":\"What is the difference between malunion and nonunion in fracture coding?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Malunion means the fracture has united in a faulty position. Nonunion means it never united within the expected time. For an open type I or II fracture of the left femur, malunion takes S72.452Q and nonunion takes S72.452M. 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Outside of work, she enjoys photography, weekend getaways, and finding inspiration in everyday experiences.","url":"https:\/\/pabau.com\/nl\/blog\/author\/despina-petrushevska\/"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/pabau.com\/nl\/diagnostic-codes\/icd-10-code-s72452q\/#faq-question-1786616384702","position":1,"url":"https:\/\/pabau.com\/nl\/diagnostic-codes\/icd-10-code-s72452q\/#faq-question-1786616384702","name":"What is ICD-10 code S72.452Q?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"ICD-10 code S72.452Q is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code. It describes a displaced supracondylar fracture without intracondylar extension of the lower end of the left femur. The 7th character Q sets the visit as a subsequent encounter for an open type I or II fracture that healed with malunion. The code is valid for FY2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.","inLanguage":"nl-NL"},"inLanguage":"nl-NL"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/pabau.com\/nl\/diagnostic-codes\/icd-10-code-s72452q\/#faq-question-1786616384703","position":2,"url":"https:\/\/pabau.com\/nl\/diagnostic-codes\/icd-10-code-s72452q\/#faq-question-1786616384703","name":"Is S72.452Q a billable ICD-10 code?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes. S72.452Q carries all seven characters, so it can be submitted on HIPAA-covered claims. Its parent codes S72.45 and S72.452 are header codes and will reject on their own. Billable status does not promise payment, because coverage still varies by payer.","inLanguage":"nl-NL"},"inLanguage":"nl-NL"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/pabau.com\/nl\/diagnostic-codes\/icd-10-code-s72452q\/#faq-question-1786616384706","position":3,"url":"https:\/\/pabau.com\/nl\/diagnostic-codes\/icd-10-code-s72452q\/#faq-question-1786616384706","name":"What is the difference between malunion and nonunion in fracture coding?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Malunion means the fracture has united in a faulty position. Nonunion means it never united within the expected time. For an open type I or II fracture of the left femur, malunion takes S72.452Q and nonunion takes S72.452M. Delayed healing is a third state and takes S72.452H, so the provider has to document which one applies.","inLanguage":"nl-NL"},"inLanguage":"nl-NL"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/pabau.com\/nl\/diagnostic-codes\/icd-10-code-s72452q\/#faq-question-1786616384707","position":4,"url":"https:\/\/pabau.com\/nl\/diagnostic-codes\/icd-10-code-s72452q\/#faq-question-1786616384707","name":"What are the adjacent codes to S72.452Q?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The nearest siblings are S72.451Q for the right femur and S72.453Q when the side is not documented. S72.455Q reports the same injury when the fracture is nondisplaced. Within the left femur code, S72.452E is routine healing, S72.452H is delayed healing, and S72.452M is nonunion. S72.452R covers malunion after an open type IIIA to IIIC fracture.","inLanguage":"nl-NL"},"inLanguage":"nl-NL"}]}},"yoast":{"focus_keyword":"ICD-10 Code S72.452Q","seo_title":"ICD-10 code S72.452Q: Left femur supracondylar fracture","meta_description":"S72.452Q covers a displaced left supracondylar femur fracture, open type I\/II, with malunion at follow-up.","content_score":"30","is_cornerstone":"","related_keyphrases":[{"keyword":"distal femur fracture ICD-10","score":67},{"keyword":"malunion fracture ICD-10","score":67},{"keyword":"supracondylar femur fracture ICD-10","score":61}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pabau.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177787","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pabau.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pabau.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pabau.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pabau.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=177787"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/pabau.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177787\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":180602,"href":"https:\/\/pabau.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177787\/revisions\/180602"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pabau.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/177785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pabau.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=177787"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pabau.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=177787"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pabau.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=177787"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}