Orthopedic Coding Alert

Question: How should I bill compartment pressure measurements?

Louisiana Subscriber

Answer: The appropriate choice for this service is 20950 (Monitoring of interstitial fluid pressure [includes insertion of device, e.g., wick catheter technique, needle manometer technique] in detection of muscle compartment syndrome).

Watch your units: Experts recommend billing 20950 per extremity, per session. You should not bill this code per compartment.

Example: The orthopedic surgeon measured compartment pressures in anterior and posterior compartments of bilateral legs.
You should report 20950-RT (Right side), followed by 20950-LT (Left side).

Good news: If the surgeon performs the studies again later in the day, such as to test for exercise-induced compartment syndrome, you may report those studies separately. Remember to append modifier 76 (Repeat procedure by same physician) if the same physician repeats the procedure at a separate session on the same day.