Find information on metacarpal fracture diagnosis, including clinical documentation, medical coding (ICD-10, CPT), treatment, and recovery. Learn about boxer's fracture, Bennett's fracture, Rolando's fracture, and other metacarpal hand fractures. This resource covers healthcare provider guidelines for accurate diagnosis, coding for insurance reimbursement, and patient care related to metacarpal fractures. Explore symptoms, signs, and diagnostic imaging for proper metacarpal fracture identification and management.
Also known as
Fractures of hand and fingers
Covers fractures of metacarpals, fingers, and thumb.
Fractures of upper limb, NEC
Includes other specified fractures of the upper limb not classified elsewhere.
Stress fractures
May include stress fractures of the metacarpals if documented as such.
Follow this step-by-step guide to choose the correct ICD-10 code.
Is the fracture open or closed?
Open
Which metacarpal?
Closed
Which metacarpal?
When to use each related code
| Description |
|---|
| Metacarpal Fracture |
| Boxer's Fracture |
| Bennett's Fracture |
Missing or unclear documentation of the affected hand (right, left) can lead to coding errors and claim denials. Crucial for accurate ICD-10 and CPT coding.
Insufficient documentation describing the fracture type (e.g., displaced, comminuted, open) impacts accurate CPT code selection for surgical procedures.
Failure to document and code associated soft tissue injuries or other fractures could result in lost revenue and inaccurate severity reflection.
Patient presents with complaints of metacarpal pain, swelling, and potential fracture following [mechanism of injury - e.g., fall, direct blow, crush injury]. Onset of symptoms occurred [timeframe - e.g., immediately, hours prior]. Location of injury is specified as [right/left] hand, [specify metacarpal number - e.g., first, second, third, fourth, fifth] metacarpal. Physical examination reveals [describe findings - e.g., tenderness to palpation, ecchymosis, edema, deformity, crepitus, limited range of motion]. Neurovascular status distal to the injury is [intact/compromised], with capillary refill time of [number] seconds. Radiographic imaging of the [right/left] hand was performed, revealing a [describe fracture - e.g., transverse, oblique, spiral, comminuted] fracture of the [specify metacarpal number] metacarpal. Diagnosis of metacarpal fracture is confirmed. Differential diagnoses considered include metacarpal contusion, sprain, and dislocation. Treatment plan includes [specify treatment - e.g., closed reduction, splinting, surgical fixation, pain management with NSAIDs or other analgesics]. Patient education provided regarding fracture care, activity modification, and follow-up appointments. Patient instructed to return for follow-up evaluation in [timeframe - e.g., one week, two weeks] to assess healing progress and adjust treatment plan as needed. ICD-10 code S62 [specify sub-code - e.g., S62.101A for unspecified fracture of the right first metacarpal, initial encounter for closed fracture]. CPT codes for procedures performed will be documented separately.