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S82.421A vs S82.421Q

S82.421A (Displaced transverse fracture of shaft of right fibula, initial encounter for closed fracture) compared with S82.421Q (Displaced transverse fracture of shaft of right fibula, subsequent encounter for open fracture type I or II with malunion), from the official CMS tabular data. S82.421A and S82.421Q code the same injury at a different phase of treatment.

Relationship

Review

Encounter relationship

S82.421A
Initial encounter
Displaced transverse fracture of shaft of right fibula, initial encounter for closed fracture
S82.421Q
Subsequent encounter
Displaced transverse fracture of shaft of right fibula, subsequent encounter for open fracture type I or II 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. S82.421A and S82.421Q 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

S82.421ADisplaced transverse fracture of shaft of right fibula, initial encounter for closed fractureS82.421QDisplaced transverse fracture of shaft of right fibula, subsequent encounter for open fracture type I or II 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)
DefinitionDisplaced transverse fracture of shaft of right fibula, initial encounter for closed fracture is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (S82.421A).Displaced transverse fracture of shaft of right fibula, subsequent encounter for open fracture type I or II with malunion is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (S82.421Q).
7th characterThe appropriate 7th character is to be added to all codes from category S82The appropriate 7th character is to be added to all codes from category S82
Includes
fracture of malleolus
fracture of malleolus

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