S62.242 Displaced fracture of shaft of first metacarpal bone, left hand

ICD-10-CM Code S62.242: Displaced fracture of shaft of first metacarpal bone, left hand

ICD-10-CM code S62.242 identifies a displaced fracture of the shaft of the first metacarpal bone in the left hand. The metacarpal bones connect the wrist to the thumb and fingers, and a displaced fracture means the broken bone is out of its normal position. This code falls under the broader category of fractures at the wrist and hand level. The provided sources establish the code's hierarchy and clinical context but do not confirm specific payer coverage rules. 2 3 4

Plain-language overview

A displaced fracture means the broken bone is not in its normal position, and the metacarpal bones are the five bones in the hand that connect the wrist to the thumb and fingers. [S2] 2

What this code represents

Code S62.242 represents a displaced fracture of the shaft of the first metacarpal bone, left hand, and is a more specific designation under the broader S62.24 category for fractures of the shaft of the first metacarpal bone. [S3, S4] 3 4

Coding details

The S62.242 code is nested within Chapter 19 for injuries, poisoning, and certain other consequences of external causes, specifically under the S60-S69 block for injuries to the wrist, hand, and fingers. [S4] 4

The S62.24 category distinguishes displaced fractures from nondisplaced fractures of the first metacarpal shaft, and it further specifies the right hand, left hand, or unspecified hand. [S4] 4

Clinical context

Direct blows to the dorsum of the hand can result in metacarpal shaft fractures, while oblique fractures can occur after rotational and axial loads. [S1] 1

Documentation considerations

The official code description for S62.242 explicitly establishes laterality by identifying the fracture as being in the left hand, and it explicitly establishes alignment by identifying the fracture as displaced. [S3, S4] 3 4

What the sources add

The EVS Explore source provides the official code description and links S62.242 to subsequent encounter modifiers like S62.242G, while the Vero source provides the broader category hierarchy and laterality distinctions. [S3, S4] 3 4

The clinical source from NCBI explains the mechanical forces and trauma that cause metacarpal shaft fractures, whereas the MedlinePlus source explains the patient-facing anatomy and the definition of a displaced bone. [S1, S2] 1 2

Sources

1. Bookshelf — ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; accessed 2026-07-25.
2. Hand fracture - aftercare: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia — medlineplus.gov; accessed 2026-07-25.
3. EVS Explore — evsexplore.semantics.cancer.gov; accessed 2026-07-25.
4. ICD-10-CM Code S62.24 | Vero — veroscribe.com; accessed 2026-07-25.