S72 vs S72.9
S72 and S72.9 can never be reported together. ICD-10-CM declares them mutually exclusive with an Excludes1 note, meaning the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient — so exactly one of them is correct for any given encounter.
S72
Fracture of femur
Not billable
- Chapter 19
- Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes
- Section
- S70-S79
S72.9
Unspecified fracture of femur
Not billable
- Chapter 19
- Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes
- Section
- S70-S79
Use when the record says
- Fracture of thigh NOS
- Fracture of upper leg NOS
Indexed under
- Fracture, traumatic › femur, femoral (abduction) (adduction) (separation)
Excludes1 is not always absolute: where two conditions covered by the note are genuinely unrelated, CMS guidance permits reporting both. Document the reasoning rather than assuming it. More on Excludes1 vs Excludes2 · FY2027