Orthopedic Coding Alert

Question: The physician's notes state, "Bursal side rotator cuff showed fraying diffusely, was debrided to no more than 15% thick, over the size of a half dollar." Does the service constitute limited or extensive debridement?

Colorado Subscriber

Answer: Your physician completed limited debridement, so you'll report 29822 (Arthroscopy, shoulder, surgical; debridement, limited).

Difference: Code 29822 covers limited debridement of soft or hard tissue, and should be used for limited labral or cuff debridement or removal of degenerative cartilage and osteophytes. Code 29823 (... debridement, extensive), by contrast, represents extensive debridement of soft or hard tissue. According to The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) policy statements, limited debridement occurs when the surgeon completes the procedure in only onehalf of the gleno-humeral joint. Extensive debridement refers to debridement in both the anterior and posterior aspects of the gleno-humeral joint.