S72.301R Unspecified fracture of shaft of right femur, subsequent encounter for open fracture type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC with malunion

ICD-10-CM S72.301R: Unspecified Fracture of Shaft of Right Femur, Subsequent Encounter for Open Fracture Type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC with Malunion

ICD-10-CM code S72.301R is an active terminology concept representing an unspecified fracture of the shaft of the right femur during a subsequent encounter for an open fracture type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC with malunion. It is classified under the semantic type of Injury or Poisoning and is a narrower concept of S72.301. 1

Plain-language overview

The terminology record for S72.301R assigns the semantic type of Injury or Poisoning to this diagnosis code, which specifically pertains to an unspecified fracture of the shaft of the right femur. 1

What this code represents

The official preferred name for S72.301R is Unspecified fracture of shaft of right femur, subsequent encounter for open fracture type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC with malunion, and its record status is active. 1

Coding details

Within the ICD-10-CM hierarchy, S72.301R is a narrower concept directly descending from the parent code S72.301, which denotes an unspecified fracture of the shaft of the right femur. 1

The terminology record for S72.301R includes the published abbreviation Unsp fx shaft of r femr, 7thR for this specific diagnosis concept within the ICD-10-CM version 2026. 1

Documentation considerations

The official display label for S72.301R explicitly incorporates the right femur shaft location, the open fracture type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC classification, the presence of malunion, and a subsequent encounter. 1

What the sources add

While the terminology record defines the exact label and hierarchical status of S72.301R, a separate clinical review identifies malunion as a documented complication associated with external fixation of open tibial shaft fractures. 1 2

A Medicare billing and coding article lists S72.402R, a code for an unspecified fracture of the lower end of the left femur with a subsequent encounter for open fracture type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC with malunion. 1 3

Questions to verify

The supplied excerpts do not establish the specific clinical treatment protocols, initial encounter codes, or payer-specific coverage criteria directly governing the use of S72.301R for right femur shaft fractures. 1 2 3

Sources

1. ICD-10-CM S72.301R terminology record — National Cancer Institute Enterprise Vocabulary Services; accessed 2026-07-27.
2. Open Tibial Fractures Part 2: A Narrative Review of Definitive Treatment and Potential Applicability to the Southern African Context — pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
3. Article - Billing and Coding: Total Knee Arthroplasty (A57686) — cms.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
4. Article - Billing and Coding: Total Knee Arthroplasty (A57685) — cms.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.