ICD-10 Guide

Left Knee Strain

ICD-10 Coding for Left Knee Strain(S86.812A)

PRIMARY SPECIALTYOrthopedics

COMPLEXITYHigh

LAST UPDATED09/15/2025

Sam Tuffun, PT, DPT

Physical Therapist | Medical Coding & Billing Contributor

Diagnosis Overview

What is Left Knee Strain?

Essential facts and insights about Left Knee Strain

Key Clinical Considerations:

Pain and tenderness around the knee joint
Swelling and stiffness in the knee
Limited range of motion
Key diagnostic tests: MRI may show soft tissue damage, X-rays to rule out fractures
Physical exam findings: Positive McMurray test, joint effusion, tenderness along the joint line

Clinical Information

Clinical Criteria & Documentation Requirements

Required documentation elements: Patient history, mechanism of injury, physical exam findings, treatment plan
Specific coding terminology: 'Strain', 'Knee', 'Left'
Documentation examples: 'Patient presents with left knee strain following sports injury, exhibiting swelling and limited range of motion.'

Coding Guidelines

Usage Guidelines & Examples

Usage guidelines: Use specific codes for left knee strain based on the affected structures.
Common errors: Misclassifying the type of strain or not specifying the laterality.

Code Exclusions

Important Exclusions

Excluded conditions: Fractures, dislocations, meniscus tears.
Alternative codes: Consider codes for associated injuries if present.

Specialty Focus

Primary Specialty

Orthopedics

Specialty Applications

Patient populations: Athletes, active individuals, elderly patients with falls.
Clinical settings: Orthopedic clinics, urgent care, physical therapy.

Coding Complexity

High Complexity

This diagnosis requires careful attention to:

Comprehensive clinical documentation
Accurate code selection based on clinical criteria
Proper exclusion considerations
Specialty-specific coding guidelines

Documentation

Documentation Templates

Billing Information

Billing Considerations

Ensure proper documentation for billing
Verify code specificity requirements
Check for any additional codes needed
Review payer-specific guidelines

Common Issues

Insufficient clinical documentation
Incorrect code selection
Missing supporting diagnoses
Timing and frequency documentation

Frequently Asked Questions

Documentation requirements?

Include detailed history, physical exam findings, and treatment plan.

Billing considerations?

Ensure accurate coding to reflect the severity and specifics of the strain.

Left Knee Strain

Diagnosis Overview

Key Clinical Considerations:

Clinical Information

Clinical Criteria & Documentation Requirements

Coding Guidelines

Usage Guidelines & Examples

Code Exclusions

Important Exclusions

Related ICD-10 Codes

Related CPT Codes

Specialty Focus

Primary Specialty

Specialty Applications

Coding Complexity

Documentation

Documentation Templates

Billing Information

Billing Considerations

Common Issues

Frequently Asked Questions

Documentation requirements?

Billing considerations?

Left Knee Strain

Diagnosis Overview

Key Clinical Considerations:

Clinical Information

Clinical Criteria & Documentation Requirements

Coding Guidelines

Usage Guidelines & Examples

Code Exclusions

Important Exclusions

Related ICD-10 Codes

Related CPT Codes

Specialty Focus

Primary Specialty

Specialty Applications

Coding Complexity

Documentation

Documentation Templates

Billing Information

Billing Considerations

Common Issues

Frequently Asked Questions

Documentation requirements?

Billing considerations?