S72.002C Fracture of unspecified part of neck of left femur, initial encounter for open fracture type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC

ICD-10-CM S72.002C: Fracture of Unspecified Part of Neck of Left Femur, Initial Encounter for Open Fracture Type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC

ICD-10-CM code S72.002C identifies an initial encounter for a severe open fracture of the left femoral neck. This terminology record classifies the injury as an Injury or Poisoning concept and specifies open fracture types IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC. Clinical references detail that these severe designations involve varying degrees of soft tissue loss, contamination, or vascular injury requiring repair. 1 2 3

Plain-language overview

Code S72.002C represents a left femoral neck fracture that is open and severe, specifically documented as type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC during the initial clinical encounter for this injury. 1

What this code represents

The terminology record assigns S72.002C a semantic type of Injury or Poisoning and lists its parent concept as S72.002, which denotes a fracture of an unspecified part of the left femoral neck. 1

The official display label for S72.002C explicitly specifies the left side of the body and indicates that the clinical encounter is the initial one for this open fracture. 1

Coding details

The terminology hierarchy lists S72.002C alongside S72.002S, which denotes a fracture of the unspecified part of the neck of the left femur with a different encounter character. 5

Documentation considerations

Clinical classifications divide type III open fractures into IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC based on factors like adequate soft tissue coverage, soft tissue loss with periosteal stripping, or arterial injury requiring repair. 2 4

Clinical references establish that type III open fractures may involve farm injuries, gunshot fractures, traumatic amputations, or segmental fractures with extensive soft tissue injury and wounds exceeding ten centimeters. 3 4

Clinical context

The Gustilo-Anderson classification divides grade III open fractures into three subtypes, where type IIIC specifically identifies severe open fractures involving arterial injuries that require vascular repair to restore limb viability. 2 6

What the sources add

While the terminology record defines the code's specific linguistic boundaries, clinical practice guidelines add operational context by describing the severe soft tissue damage and contamination associated with type III open fractures. 1 4

Coverage and utilization context

Clinical practice guidelines for open fracture management describe classification standards and antibiotic protocols, but the supplied sources do not address coverage criteria for S72.002C. 4

Sources

1. ICD-10-CM S72.002C terminology record — National Cancer Institute Enterprise Vocabulary Services; accessed 2026-07-27.
2. Acute Management of Open Long Bone Fractures — medicine.temple.edu; accessed 2026-07-27.
3. Treatment principles in the management of open fractures — pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
4. Clinical Practice Management Guidelines — healthy.arkansas.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
5. EVS Explore — evsexplore.semantics.cancer.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
6. Principles of management of open fractures — surgeryreference.aofoundation.org; accessed 2026-07-27.