M24.04: Loose body in joint Hand

You have loose bodies in one or more joints in your hand.

The hand is made up of a lot of small bones and joints. Immediately after the forearm is the carpus. Then comes the metacarpus and then the individual fingers.

In a joint, two or more bones come together. The bones are coated with a protective layer of cartilage. And joints are also encased in a capsule made of connective tissue. Inside the capsule there is always some fluid in the joint. It can happen, for various reasons, that a piece of bone, cartilage or connective tissue becomes detached. This piece can then move freely in the fluid in the joint. Reasons may include, for example, injuries or inflammation of the joint. After an operation, suture material may become detached so that it moves freely within the fluid in the joint. When something is moving freely within the joint, it is known as a loose body.

If loose bodies get jammed in the joint, it can cause pain. It may also no longer be possible to move the joint properly. The joint may then swell up.

Additional indicator

On medical documents, the ICD code is often appended by letters that indicate the diagnostic certainty or the affected side of the body.

  • G: Confirmed diagnosis
  • V: Tentative diagnosis
  • Z: Condition after
  • A: Excluded diagnosis
  • L: Left
  • R: Right
  • B: Both sides

Further information

Note

This information is not intended for self-diagnosis and does not replace professional medical advice from a doctor. If you find an ICD code on a personal medical document, please also note the additional indicator used for diagnostic confidence.
Your doctor will assist you with any health-related questions and explain the ICD diagnosis code to you in a direct consultation if necessary.

Source

Provided by the non-profit organization “Was hab’ ich?” gemeinnützige GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG).