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Orthopedic Coding Alert

READER QUESTIONS:

Consider 26615 for Osteoclasis

Published on Fri Oct 21, 2005

Question: Our orthopedic surgeon performed open osteoclasis to treat a right proximal fifth metacarpal fracture. Which code should we report for our surgeon's work on this procedure?


Minnesota Subscriber
Answer: It might help your coding selection to know the definition of osteoclasis. This procedure involves the manipulation of a fracture that surgeons perform to correct the bone alignment.

During osteoclasis, the surgeon manually re-breaks the bone and re-aligns it.
 
If your surgeon performs osteoclasis as an open procedure, you should report 26615 (Open treatment of metacarpal fracture, single, with or without internal or external fixation, each bone).
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