S72.453N Displaced supracondylar fracture without intracondylar extension of lower end of unspecified femur, subsequent encounter for open fracture type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC with nonunion

ICD-10-CM S72.453N: Displaced Supracondylar Femur Fracture, Subsequent Open Encounter with Nonunion

ICD-10-CM code S72.453N identifies a displaced supracondylar fracture without intracondylar extension of the lower end of an unspecified femur during a subsequent encounter for a severe type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC open fracture that has resulted in nonunion. This terminology record is active and classifies the concept as an injury or poisoning. 1 2

Plain-language overview

This code describes a displaced supracondylar fracture without intracondylar extension of the lower end of an unspecified femur, documented during a subsequent encounter for a severe open fracture with nonunion. 1

What this code represents

The official label for S72.453N is a displaced supracondylar fracture without intracondylar extension of the lower end of an unspecified femur, subsequent encounter for open fracture type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC with nonunion. 1

The semantic type assigned to this specific code is Injury or Poisoning, and its parent concept is the broader S72.453 code for displaced supracondylar fractures of the unspecified femur. 1

Coding details

The terminology record for S72.453N includes the published abbreviation indicating a seventh character N, and the code is listed as having narrower concepts within the ICD-10-CM terminology. 1

While S72.453N specifies an unspecified femur, related codes distinguish laterality, such as the subsequent encounter for a displaced supracondylar fracture without intracondylar extension of the right femur. 1 5

Documentation considerations

Clinical literature identifies nonunion as a current complication of open fractures, and this specific code explicitly captures a subsequent encounter for nonunion following a type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC open injury. 1 2

Clinical context

Type III open fractures are subdivided based on soft tissue damage, where type IIIA has adequate soft tissue coverage, type IIIB involves soft tissue loss, and type IIIC involves arterial injury requiring repair. 2 6

Supracondylar fractures of the distal femur may present as open injuries in 5 to 10 percent of cases, and current complications of open fractures include infection and nonunion of the bone. 2 3

What the sources add

A Medicare billing and coding article for total knee arthroplasty references the right femur equivalent of this specific subsequent encounter code, contrasting the unspecified femur designation in the target terminology record. 1 5

Sources

1. ICD-10-CM S72.453N 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. Bookshelf — ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
4. Article - Billing and Coding: Major Joint Replacement (Hip and Knee) (A57765) — cms.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
5. Article - Billing and Coding: Total Knee Arthroplasty (A57685) — cms.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
6. Principles of management of open fractures — surgeryreference.aofoundation.org; accessed 2026-07-27.