Question

A 72-year-old female sustained a left radius fracture, resulting in volar angulation, radial shortening and loss of radioulnar inclination. a general anesthetic was administered. a standard dorsal central approach to the wrist was made. the capsule was opened in a t fashion and the malunion site was identified. a series of osteotomes was utilized to open the fracture site and the normal distal radial architecture was restored. the pie-plate was placed on the distal radius utilizing a combination of 2.0 and 1.8 screws and threaded pins for the distal segment and 2.7 screws proximally. fragments were secured, and norian srs was packed into the defect and allowed to harden. with this completed, the wounds were copiously irrigated with normal saline. soft tissue was closed over the plate and distal radius, and secured with 2-0 vicryl. what cpt® code is reported?

Answer 1

The answer is 25400-LT. the explanation behind this is this is not the reparation of a fracture; it is repair of a malunion. In the CPT® Index look for Repair/Radius/Malunion or Nonunion, 25400, 25405, 25415, 25420. Code 25400 reports repair of a malunion of the radius. There is no indication of an autograft; hence, 25405 is incorrect. Norian SRS is a biocompatible bone gap filler, not a graft. Modifier LT is added to indicate the procedure is executed on the left side.