Open wound of front wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity

Not billableICD-10-CM diagnosis code.

This code exists but cannot be submitted on its own. It groups the more specific codes beneath it.

A category header for its whole life, FY2016 onwards. It has never been valid for submission on its own.

Submit one of these 6 more specific codes instead:

S21.10 Unspecified open wound of front wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity (also a header)
S21.11 Laceration without foreign body of front wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity (also a header)
S21.12 Laceration with foreign body of front wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity (also a header)
S21.13 Puncture wound without foreign body of front wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity (also a header)
S21.14 Puncture wound with foreign body of front wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity (also a header)
S21.15 Open bite of front wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity (also a header)

This code requires a seventh character. See the rule below.

What has happened to this code

Every change the publisher made, from 2012 to now. Entries marked draft are from the pre-implementation releases: ICD-10 took effect on 1 October 2015, so nothing before FY2016 was ever valid on a claim.

FY2012 Added to the draft code set draft Open wound of front wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity

Official coding rules

Published by CDC for FY2027. A rule attached to a category binds every code beneath it, so the rules inherited from this code's ancestors are shown with the code they come from.

Inherited from S21 Open wound of thorax

Seventh character required

The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S21

Excludes1 - never coded here

traumatic amputation (partial) of thorax (S28.1)

Code also

any associated injury, such as:
injury of heart (S26.-)
injury of intrathoracic organs (S27.-)
rib fracture (S22.3-, S22.4-)
spinal cord injury (S24.0-, S24.1-)
traumatic hemopneumothorax (S27.3)
traumatic hemothorax (S27.1)
traumatic pneumothorax (S27.0)
wound infection

Inherited from the S20-S29 section Injuries to the thorax (S20-S29)

Excludes2 - not included here

burns and corrosions (T20-T32)
effects of foreign body in bronchus (T17.5)
effects of foreign body in esophagus (T18.1)
effects of foreign body in lung (T17.8)
effects of foreign body in trachea (T17.4)
frostbite (T33-T34)
injuries of axilla
injuries of clavicle
injuries of scapular region
injuries of shoulder
insect bite or sting, venomous (T63.4)

Includes

injuries of breast
injuries of chest (wall)
injuries of interscapular area

Codes in the same group

Code	Description	Status
S21.0	Open wound of breast	Not billable
S21.2	Open wound of back wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity	Not billable
S21.3	Open wound of front wall of thorax with penetration into thoracic cavity	Not billable
S21.4	Open wound of back wall of thorax with penetration into thoracic cavity	Not billable
S21.9	Open wound of unspecified part of thorax	Not billable