Orthopedic Coding Alert

Question: Our surgeon repaired a hip labrum tear along with femoral neck osteophyte removal to eliminate impingement. How do we report the osteophyte removal and the labral repair?

Alaska Subscriber

Answer: We may assume that the labral repair is done arthroscopically and report code 29916 (Arthroscopy, hip, surgical; with labral repair). The femoral osteophyte removal is in specific a femoral neck osteoplasty, and you report code 29914 (Arthroscopy, hip, surgical; with femoroplasty [ie, treatment of cam lesion]) for this.

If your surgeon does an open procedure, you report code 27161 (Osteotomy, femoral neck [separate procedure]) for the femoral osteoplasty. There is no code for open labral repair. You may report the unlisted code 27299 (Unlisted procedure, pelvis or hip joint) for the labral repair.