2025 ICD-10-CM code S81.05
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes - Injury to the knee and lower leg 19 Feed
Open bite of knee.
Medical necessity for the treatment of an open bite of the knee is based on the severity of the wound, the risk of infection, and the potential for complications such as damage to underlying structures.
Providers diagnose the condition based on the patient’s history and physical examination, particularly to assess the nerves, bones, and blood vessels, depending on the depth and severity of the wound, and imaging techniques such as X–rays to determine the extent of damage and to evaluate for foreign bodies such as tooth or bone fragments. Treatment options include control of any bleeding; an immediate thorough cleaning of the wound, surgical removal of damaged or infected tissue and repair of the wound; application of appropriate topical medication and dressing; and administration of medications such as analgesics and nonsteroidal anti–inflammatory drugs to relieve pain; antibiotics to prevent or treat an infection, tetanus prophylaxis, and treatment of rabies, if necessary.
In simple words: An open bite on the knee means the skin has been broken by a bite, usually from an animal or another person. Human bites are especially prone to infection.
An open or an otherwise unspecified bite of the knee refers to a bite from an animal or a human with a high risk of infection, especially from a human bite.An open bite of the knee can result in pain at the affected site, with loss of mobility or sensation in the knee, bleeding, swelling, itching, redness, bruising, and infection.
Example 1: A patient presents to the emergency room after being bitten on the knee by a dog. The bite is deep and bleeding, with visible tooth marks. The wound is classified as an open bite and S81.05 is used., During a fight, a patient is bitten on the knee by another person. The bite breaks the skin and there is concern for infection. S81.05 is applied, along with a code for the human bite., A child falls and sustains a scrape to their knee which becomes infected. This scenario would not utilize code S81.05. While there is a wound and infection at the knee, this is not a bite and therefore would be better classified in the appropriate S80 category for an open wound of the knee.
Documentation should include the cause of the bite (animal or human), the location and depth of the wound, the presence of any foreign bodies, and the treatment provided.If the bite is human, details of the biting individual should be documented for public health reporting purposes.
- Specialties:Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, General Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery
- Place of Service:Emergency Room - Hospital, Office, Urgent Care Facility, Inpatient Hospital, Outpatient Hospital