2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code S72Fracture of femur

ICD-10-CM Codes›S00–T88›S70-S79›S72

ICD-10-CM S72
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

S72 is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code for fracture of femur, so it cannot be submitted on claims. Use a more specific code from this category instead, such as S72.001A, S72.001B, S72.001C, and S72.001D.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
S72
Billable Status
No — Non-Billable Category
Code Describes
Fracture of femur
Short Description
Fracture of femur
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Chapter
S70-S79
Injuries to the hip and thigh

Code Classification

ChapterS00–T88Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes
SectionS70-S79Injuries to the hip and thigh
CategoryS72Fracture of femur
This CodeS72Fracture of femur

Specific Coding for Fracture of femurOverview

Non-specific codes like S72 require more characters. Use one of these billable codes instead:

  • S72.0 for Fracture of head and neck of femur

  • S72.00 for Fracture of unspecified part of neck of femur

  • S72.01 for Unspecified intracapsular fracture of femur

  • S72.02 for Fracture of epiphysis (separation) (upper) of femur

  • S72.03 for Midcervical fracture of femur

  • S72.04 for Fracture of base of neck of femur

  • S72.05 for Unspecified fracture of head of femur

  • S72.06 for Articular fracture of head of femur

  • S72.09 for Other fracture of head and neck of femur

  • S72.1 for Pertrochanteric fracture

  • S72.10 for Unspecified trochanteric fracture of femur

  • S72.11 for Fracture of greater trochanter of femur

  • S72.12 for Fracture of lesser trochanter of femur

  • S72.13 for Apophyseal fracture of femur

  • S72.14 for Intertrochanteric fracture of femur

  • S72.2 for Subtrochanteric fracture of femur

  • S72.21 for Displaced subtrochanteric fracture of right femur

  • S72.22 for Displaced subtrochanteric fracture of left femur

  • S72.23 for Displaced subtrochanteric fracture of unspecified femur

  • S72.24 for Nondisplaced subtrochanteric fracture of right femur

  • S72.25 for Nondisplaced subtrochanteric fracture of left femur

  • S72.26 for Nondisplaced subtrochanteric fracture of unspecified femur

  • S72.3 for Fracture of shaft of femur

  • S72.30 for Unspecified fracture of shaft of femur

  • S72.32 for Transverse fracture of shaft of femur

  • S72.33 for Oblique fracture of shaft of femur

  • S72.34 for Spiral fracture of shaft of femur

  • S72.35 for Comminuted fracture of shaft of femur

  • S72.36 for Segmental fracture of shaft of femur

  • S72.39 for Other fracture of shaft of femur

  • S72.4 for Fracture of lower end of femur

  • S72.40 for Unspecified fracture of lower end of femur

  • S72.41 for Unspecified condyle fracture of lower end of femur

  • S72.42 for Fracture of lateral condyle of femur

  • S72.43 for Fracture of medial condyle of femur

  • S72.44 for Fracture of lower epiphysis (separation) of femur

  • S72.45 for Supracondylar fracture without intracondylar extension of lower end of femur

  • S72.46 for Supracondylar fracture with intracondylar extension of lower end of femur

  • S72.47 for Torus fracture of lower end of femur

  • S72.49 for Other fracture of lower end of femur

  • S72.8 for Other fracture of femur

  • S72.8X for Other fracture of femur

  • S72.9 for Unspecified fracture of femur

  • S72.90 for Unspecified fracture of unspecified femur

  • S72.91 for Unspecified fracture of right femur

  • S72.92 for Unspecified fracture of left femur

Coding GuidelinesGuidance

The principles of multiple coding of injuries should be followed in coding fractures. Fractures of specified sites are coded individually by site, to the level of detail furnished by medical record content.

A fracture not indicated as open or closed should be coded to closed. A fracture not indicated whether displaced or not displaced should be coded to displaced.

Initial vs. Subsequent Encounter for Fractures

Traumatic fractures are coded using the appropriate 7th character for initial encounter (A, B, C) while the patient is receiving active treatment for the fracture. The appropriate 7th character for initial encounter should also be assigned for a patient who delayed seeking treatment for the fracture or nonunion.

Fractures are coded using the appropriate 7th character for subsequent care for encounters after the patient has completed active treatment of the fracture and is receiving routine care for the fracture during the healing or recovery phase.

Care for complications of surgical treatment for fracture repairs during the healing or recovery phase should be coded with the appropriate complication codes.

Care of complications of fractures, such as malunion and nonunion, should be reported with the appropriate 7th character for subsequent care with nonunion (K, M, N) or subsequent care with malunion (P, Q, R).

The open fracture designations in the assignment of the 7th character for fractures of the forearm, femur and lower leg, including ankle are based on the Gustilo open fracture classification. When the Gustilo classification type is not specified for an open fracture, the 7th character for open fracture type I or II should be assigned (B, E, H, M, Q).

Source: ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, FY 2027, published by CMS and the National Center for Health Statistics.

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to S72: its own notes plus those printed at block S70-S79 and Chapter 19. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.

Excludes1

Not coded here: the excluded code is never reported together with this one, unless the two conditions are unrelated.

  • traumatic amputation of hip and thigh (S78.-)

Excludes2

Not included here: the excluded condition is not part of this code, but a patient may have both, so both codes may be reported.

On S72 itself
  • fracture of lower leg and ankle (S82.-)
  • fracture of foot (S92.-)
  • periprosthetic fracture of prosthetic implant of hip (M97.0-)
From Block S70-S79 Injuries to the hip and thigh applies to 3,546 codes
From Chapter 19 (S00-T88) Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes applies to 41,187 codes

Use Additional Code

Add a second code, after this one, to fully describe the condition.

From Chapter 19 (S00-T88) Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes applies to 41,187 codes
  • code to identify any retained foreign body, if applicable (Z18.-)

Notes

General instructions on how these codes are used.

On S72 itself
  • A fracture not indicated as displaced or nondisplaced should be coded to displaced
  • A fracture not indicated as open or closed should be coded to closed
  • The open fracture designations are based on the Gustilo open fracture classification
From Chapter 19 (S00-T88) Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes applies to 41,187 codes
  • Use secondary code(s) from Chapter 20, External causes of morbidity, to indicate cause of injury. Codes within the T section that include the external cause do not require an additional external cause code
  • The chapter uses the S-section for coding different types of injuries related to single body regions and the T-section to cover injuries to unspecified body regions as well as poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes.

7th Character

Every code in the category takes a 7th character from the listed values, with the placeholder X filling any empty positions before it.

  • The appropriate 7th character is to be added to all codes from category S72
Values for category S72 Open Fracture Type Encounter
  • Ainitial encounter for closed fracture
  • Binitial encounter for open fracture type I or II
  • Cinitial encounter for open fracture type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC
  • Dsubsequent encounter for closed fracture with routine healing
  • Esubsequent encounter for open fracture type I or II with routine healing
  • Fsubsequent encounter for open fracture type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC with routine healing
  • Gsubsequent encounter for closed fracture with delayed healing
  • Hsubsequent encounter for open fracture type I or II with delayed healing
  • Jsubsequent encounter for open fracture type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC with delayed healing
  • Ksubsequent encounter for closed fracture with nonunion
  • Msubsequent encounter for open fracture type I or II with nonunion
  • Nsubsequent encounter for open fracture type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC with nonunion
  • Psubsequent encounter for closed fracture with malunion
  • Qsubsequent encounter for open fracture type I or II with malunion
  • Rsubsequent encounter for open fracture type IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC with malunion
  • Ssequela

Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.

Referenced in Other NotesGuidance

Instructional notes printed at other codes that name S72, its category, or a range that includes it.

Excludes1 3

These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming S72: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.

  • M84.3 Stress fracture
    traumatic fracture (S12.-, S22.-, S32.-, S42.-, S52.-, S62.-, S72.-, S82.-, S92.-)
  • M84.4 Pathological fracture, not elsewhere classified
    traumatic fracture (S12.-, S22.-, S32.-, S42.-, S52.-, S62.-, S72.-, S82.-, S92.-)
  • S71 Open wound of hip and thigh
    open fracture of hip and thigh (S72.-)

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Femur Fracture

    a traumatic or pathologic injury to the femur in which the continuity of the femur is broken.

Patient EducationClinical

Fractures

A fracture is a break in a bone. Fractures are usually caused by injuries. Since they can sometimes be serious, it's important to get medical care right away if you think you have a fracture.

The full article covers:

  • What is a fracture?
  • What are the different types of fractures?
  • What causes fractures?
  • What are the symptoms of a fracture?
  • How are fractures diagnosed?
  • What are the treatments for fractures?
  • Can fractures be prevented?

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Code HistoryHistory

FY 2016AddedAdded to the ICD-10-CM code setEffective October 1, 2015, the first year of ICD-10-CM.
FY 2017–2026No changes
FY 2027CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Questions About S72Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for fracture of femur?

S72 is the ICD-10-CM category for fracture of femur, but it is a non-billable header: claims need a more specific code from this category, listed on this page.

Is S72 (Fracture of femur) a billable code?

No. This is a category header that groups the codes for fracture of femur, and headers cannot be submitted on claims. Claims for fracture of femur need a more specific code from this category, such as S72.001A, S72.001B, and S72.001C.

Can S72 be reported with a code from S78?

Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note on S72 lists "traumatic amputation of hip and thigh (S78.-)". An Excludes1 note means the excluded code is never reported together with this one; the only exception is when the two conditions are unrelated to each other (Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).