ICD-10 for the Top 5 NFL Injuries of the 2021 Football Season

The Super Bowl is upon us once again, ladies and gentlemen. On Sunday, February 13, 2022, the Los Angeles Rams will face off against the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. Many fans are especially excited for the event this year, since this is the first Super Bowl in quite some time that Tom Brady won’t be playing in (and, based on a his recent announcement that he plans to retire, it’s very likely Brady won’t be returning to the Super Bowl). And, of course, many of the Gen Xers out there (myself included) are anticipating an epic halftime show with performances from Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Mary J. Blige.

Of course, the NFL season is a long and hard road leading up to the Super Bowl, and many players get taken out by injuries that end their run for the season. When this happens, they’re often at the doctor’s office instead of the playing field. Luckily, ICD-10 is there to properly code and document their injuries. In this blog, we’ll take a look at what we consider to be the Top 5 worst injuries of the season and the ICD-10 codes that apply to them.

1. SPINAL CORD INJURY – CAMERON CLARK

S34.1 – Unspecified injury of lumbar and sacral spinal cord

The 2021 NFL started out with tragedy for Cameron Clark, the New York Jets defensive lineman who suffered a serious spinal cord injury during training camp. At first it was thought he would miss the season. However, the injury was so bad that it led to the end of his professional football career. Needless to say, football is a dangerous sport… and we’re just getting started.

2. BROKEN FOOT – DERRICK HENRY

S92.81 – Other fracture of the foot

Derrick Henry, running back for the Tennessee Titans, broke his foot during week 8 of the season in a game against the Indianapolis Colts. Luckily for him, he was able to recover quickly and returned to the field in late January. It looks like he just got off on the wrong foot… I’ll see myself out.

3. CONCUSSION – TERRY MCLAURIN

S06.0 – Concussion

Concussions are unfortunately pretty common in the NFL, even with new advancements in helmets and head protection. Just ask Terry McLaurin, the standout wide receiver for the Washington Commanders. In a game against the Dallas Cowboys in week 14 of the season, he was pulled from the game with a concussion.

4. DISLOCATED SHOULDER – DALVIN COOK

M24.419 – Recurrent dislocation, unspecified shoulder

S43.439S – Superior glenoid labrum lesion of unspecified shoulder

In week 12 of the season, Dalvin Cook of the Minnesota Vikings was carted off the field with a dislocated shoulder in a game against the San Francisco 49ers. The joint separation was so extreme that it resulted in a torn labrum (hence the dual ICD-10 codes). Luckily, it was not season ending for him. He was able to recover and return just in time to put on an amazing display against the Steelers.

5. BUDDA BAKER – NECK INJURY

S19.9XXA – Unspecified injury of neck, initial encounter

Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker took a devastating hit in a game against the Los Angeles Rams in week 14 of the season. The hard collision was so bad that he had to be carted off the field and it resulted in a serious neck injury. He was later released from the hospital but would be unable to return to the field for the rest of the season.

Whether you are rooting for the Los Angeles Rams or Cincinnati Bengals (or if, like many of us, you're really just watching it for the cool commercials), we here at Nextech hope every one of you enjoys a fun and safe Super Bowl!