Neurosurgery Coding Alert

Question: According to the operative note, the surgeon performed an elevation of compound, comminuted, depressed skull fracture and also did methyl methacrylate cement cranioplasty to repair the gap left from bone fragments too small to replace. Which CPT® code should we report for this service?

Florida Subscriber

Answer: When you read that your surgeon stabilized and repositioned a compound or comminuted depressed skull fracture, you should submit code 62005 (Elevation of depressed skull fracture; compound or comminuted, extradural).

Compound vs. comminuted:  Typically, compound skull fractures are associated with open scalp wounds. Comminuted skull fractures imply that the fracture resulted in multiple fragments of the skull. Comminuted fractures may or may not be associated with open scalp wounds. The term compound refers to the open wound with communication of the fracture site to the skin surface.