Q: Your newest trauma patient has suffered a basilar skull fracture. While reading the CT scan of the head, you notice that there is also a dislocation of the ossicles on othe left. After coding the basilar skull fracture correctly, you are left with a decision about the ossicular dislocation. How do you code this specific injury?

A: 240212.1; the ossicles are seen on CT scan but they are the skeletal component of of the ear. Thus, the AIS code for the ossicles is found in the face, under the organ “ear”. This injury is frequently associated with a basilar skull fracture, which would be coded separately. The patient is likely also demonstrating issues with hearing on the left where the ossicles are dislocated.