L97.316

Billable

Non-pressure chronic ulcer of right ankle with bone involvement without evidence of necrosis

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 380 — Chronic Ulcer of Skin, Except Pressure

0.426

V24HCC 161 — Chronic Ulcer of Skin, Except Pressure

0.426

ESRDHCC 161 — Chronic Ulcer of Skin, Except Pressure

0.000

RxHCCHCC 311 — Diabetic and Chronic Skin Ulcer

0.000

What This Code Means

A long-lasting open sore on the right ankle that is not caused by pressure, with bone involvement but no dead bone tissue.

Coding Tips

•Differentiate from L97.314 by confirming bone involvement without necrosis
•Document the extent of bone involvement and confirm absence of bone death in clinical notes

Clinical Significance

Non-pressure chronic ulcers of the lower extremity are significant indicators of underlying vascular disease, diabetes, or other systemic conditions that impair wound healing. Bone involvement without necrosis indicates deep ulceration exposing viable bone, which carries high risk for osteomyelitis and typically requires specialized wound care and possible surgical management.

Documentation Requirements

✓Ulcer site documented as right ankle with clear laterality (right side)
✓Confirmation that the ulcer is chronic (present for extended duration, not acute)
✓Etiology documented as non-pressure (e.g., venous stasis, arterial insufficiency, diabetic, or other non-pressure cause)
✓Clinical assessment of wound depth and tissue involvement
✓Documentation that bone is exposed or involved but remains viable
✓Explicit statement that no bone necrosis is present
✓Assessment for osteomyelitis risk even without current necrosis
✓Imaging results if performed to evaluate bone involvement

Commonly Confused Codes

L97.314 — necrosis of bone; bone tissue death — most severe L97.318 — other specified severity; severity documented but not fitting standard categories L89.5- — Pressure ulcer codes; use only when ulcer is caused by sustained pressure, not vascular or other non-pressure etiology

Code Hierarchy

└L97Non-pressure chronic ulcer of lower limb, not elsewhere classified └L97.3Non-pressure chronic ulcer of ankle └L97.31Non-pressure chronic ulcer of right ankle └L97.316Non-pressure chronic ulcer of right ankle with bone involvement without evidence of necrosis

└L97.316Non-pressure chronic ulcer of right ankle with bone involvement without evidence of necrosis