Orthopedic Coding Alert

When your orthopedic surgeon completes a spinal fusion procedure, you'll need extra codes to complete your claim. CCI edits allow you to code for the cage and/or bone graft in addition to the fusion. Choose from these codes as appropriate, suggested by Heidi Stout, CPC, CCS-P, director of orthopedic coding services at The Coding Network LLC:

• +20930 -- Allograft for spine surgery only; morselized (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure)

• +20931 -- ... structural (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure)

• +22851 -- Application of intervertebral biomechanical device(s) (e.g., synthetic cage(s), threaded bone dowell(s), methylmethacrylate) to vertebral defect or interspace (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure)

• +20936 -- Autograft for spine surgery only (includes harvesting the graft); local (e.g., ribs, spinous process, or laminar fragments) obtained from same incision (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure)

• +20937 -- ... morselized (through separate skin or fascial incision) (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure)

• +20938 -- ... structural, bicortical or tricortical (through separate skin or fascial incision) (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure).