S81.851 Open bite, right lower leg

ICD-10-CM S81.851: Open bite, right lower leg

ICD-10-CM code S81.851 designates an open bite injury of the right lower leg and is classified under the semantic type of injury or poisoning. This terminology record is active and structurally positioned beneath the broader parent concept for an open bite of the lower leg. The code identifies the anatomical site and laterality of the injury. 1 4

Plain-language overview

Code S81.851 identifies a specific medical diagnosis for an open bite located on the right lower leg, and the official terminology record classifies this condition as an injury or poisoning. 1 4

What this code represents

The diagnostic code S81.851 represents an open bite of the right lower leg, functioning as a narrower concept under the parent category S81.85 for an open bite of the lower leg. 1

The base code S81.851 does not contain a seventh character, but the code tree lists more specific encounter variations including S81.851A for initial encounters, S81.851D for subsequent encounters, and S81.851S for sequela. 5

Coding details

The terminology record for S81.851 indicates an active status with no narrower concepts, meaning this specific right lower leg open bite code is a terminal node in the hierarchy. 1

The code tree distinguishes S81.851 for the right lower leg from S81.852 for the left lower leg, while S81.859 is used for an unspecified lower leg open bite. 5

Documentation considerations

Clinical documentation for bite injuries necessitates a thorough evaluation of penetration depth and the extent of injury to assess the wound accurately. 2

What the sources add

While the terminology record establishes the formal code definition and semantic type, the clinical literature provides operational context by emphasizing that bite wounds involve complex evaluations of penetration depth and injury extent. 1 2

The terminology record and the code tree provide complementary structural details, with the terminology record confirming the active status and the code tree mapping the specific seventh character extensions for encounter status. 1 5

Sources

1. ICD-10-CM S81.851 terminology record — National Cancer Institute Enterprise Vocabulary Services; accessed 2026-07-27.
2. Bookshelf — ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
3. Article - Billing and Coding: Wound Care (A55909) — cms.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
4. EVS Explore — evsexplore.semantics.cancer.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
5. ICD-10-CM 2024 | S81.85 - Open bite of lower leg — unboundmedicine.com; accessed 2026-07-27.