AHA Coding Clinic® for ICD-9 - 2004 Issue 1; Ask the Editor

Syndesmotic Injury with Ankle Fracture

A patient, who injured his right ankle while playing football, stayed off his ankle for several days but continued to have persistent pain with inability to bear weight. He presents to the hospital for treatment of medial malleolar fracture with syndesmotic injury and underwent open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of the fracture with reduction of the syndesmosis. After the surgeon reduced the fracture, an incision was made over the posterolateral border of the distal fibula and the syndesmotic injury was reduced into anatomical configuration. K-wire and screws were then placed across and through the syndesmosis to stabilize it. What is the appropriate code assignment for syndesmotic injury? How is the repair of the syndesmotic injury coded? ...

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