Question

Robert McDonald is an employee of a private subcontracting firm for the U.S. government. He is living on a U.S. naval base in Japan where he fell and broke the shaft of the ulna in his left arm (ICD-10-CM code: S52.202A). What is the ICD-10-CM code for the injury to the ulna in his left arm?

1) S52.202A
2) S52.202B
3) S52.202C
4) S52.202D

Answer 1

The correct option is S52.202A.

The ICD-10-CM code for the injury to the ulna in Robert McDonald's left arm is S52.202A. This code is for a fracture of the shaft of the ulna, which is not a humerus fracture.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct ICD-10-CM code for the injury described is S52.202A, which indicates a fracture of the shaft of the ulna (in the arm) without any mention of intraarticular or periarticular involvement, and it is for the left arm, as the last character 'A' indicates the initial encounter for a closed fracture.

Falls or direct blows can lead to various types of fractures such as those to the surgical neck or shaft of the humerus. A fall onto the elbow specifically can cause a fracture of the distal humerus, particularly in children. Such incidents often result in either a supracondylar or an intercondylar fracture, posing risks of arterial compression, ischemia, and potential nerve damage. However, the incident described pertains to the ulna rather than a humerus fracture.