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Orthopedic Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Posterolateral Corner Repair Codes Vary

Published on Tue Apr 01, 2003

Question: Our surgeon performed an arthroscopic ACL reconstruction (29888) with an open posterolateral corner repair. Can we bill for both services? Alabama Subscriber Answer: Yes. Posterolateral corner injuries include tears of the popliteus tendon, lateral collateral ligament, lateral capsular ligament and arcuate ligament complex. The codes you report will depend on the structures that the orthopedist repairs, so you should review the orthopedist's operative note in great detail. You will probably report several codes from the following list, depending on the surgeon's documentation:
27405 Repair, primary, torn ligament and/or capsule, knee; collateral
27427 Ligamentous reconstruction (augmentation), knee; extra-articular
27428 Ligamentous reconstruction (augmentation), knee; intra-articular (open)
27429 Ligamentous reconstruction (augmentation), knee; intra-articular (open) and extra-articular.  
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