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Orthopedic Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

Know Terms for Arthro Healing ACL Response

Published on Wed Apr 28, 2010

Question: Does CPT have a code we can use for an arthroscopic healing ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) response procedure? Or should we report an unlisted code?Massachusetts SubscriberAnswer: Choose 29879 (Arthroscopy, knee, surgical; abrasion arthroplasty [includes chondroplasty where necessary] or multiple drilling or microfracture) for the claim.The drilling of the femur to create the bone marrow blood clot that's placed over the ACL tear could be considered the same as a microfracture. "Healing response" is another term for "microfracture," so that's another clue to point you toward the correct code.
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