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S72.456A vs S72.456P

S72.456A (Nondisplaced supracondylar fracture without intracondylar extension of lower end of unspecified femur, initial encounter for closed fracture) compared with S72.456P (Nondisplaced supracondylar fracture without intracondylar extension of lower end of unspecified femur, subsequent encounter for closed fracture with malunion), from the official CMS tabular data. S72.456A and S72.456P code the same injury at a different phase of treatment.

Relationship

Review

Encounter relationship

S72.456A
Initial encounter
Nondisplaced supracondylar fracture without intracondylar extension of lower end of unspecified femur, initial encounter for closed fracture
S72.456P
Subsequent encounter
Nondisplaced supracondylar fracture without intracondylar extension of lower end of unspecified femur, subsequent encounter for closed fracture with malunion

Same underlying diagnosis, different encounter phase.

The 7th character records the phase of care for the encounter being coded, so a single encounter takes one of these characters, not several. Review whether both phases belong on the same episode of care.

Source: ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.C.19.a

Can these codes be reported together?

Same injury, other encounter phase. S72.456A and S72.456P code the same injury at a different phase of treatment, set by the 7th character.

The 7th character records the type of care given at the encounter being coded (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.C.19.a), so one encounter takes one of these, not both.

Side by side

S72.456ANondisplaced supracondylar fracture without intracondylar extension of lower end of unspecified femur, initial encounter for closed fractureS72.456PNondisplaced supracondylar fracture without intracondylar extension of lower end of unspecified femur, subsequent encounter for closed fracture with malunion
Billing statusBillableBillable
ClassificationS00-T88 — Injury, Poisoning and Certain Other Consequences of External Causes (S00-T88)S00-T88 — Injury, Poisoning and Certain Other Consequences of External Causes (S00-T88)
DefinitionNondisplaced supracondylar fracture without intracondylar extension of lower end of unspecified femur, initial encounter for closed fracture is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (S72.456A).Nondisplaced supracondylar fracture without intracondylar extension of lower end of unspecified femur, subsequent encounter for closed fracture with malunion is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (S72.456P).
7th characterThe appropriate 7th character is to be added to all codes from category S72The appropriate 7th character is to be added to all codes from category S72

Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources