A patient is admitted for elective total knee replacement for documented osteoarthritis of the knee. What is the typical principal diagnosis for this admission?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
Elective knee replacement isn’t a mystery admission—the osteoarthritis that earned the new joint is the principal. Aftercare and encounter codes have their places, but they don’t erase the disease that put the case on the schedule.
Full Explanation
For elective admissions for joint replacement, the condition that necessitated the procedure—commonly osteoarthrosis or another documented joint disease—is typically the principal diagnosis. Coders should not replace that condition with a nonspecific encounter-for-surgery construct when the disease is documented, nor select postoperative pain as principal when it was not the reason for admission. Aftercare coding applies in the appropriate subsequent-care contexts per guidelines.