ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert
Sharpen Your Fracture Care Vocabulary
If you're not sure what part of the bone the physician's documentation describes, it could affect your choice of CPT and ICD-9 codes. Refresh your memory with these bone definitions.
Apophyseal: Refers to a projection or prominence on a bone.
Articular: The joint.
Condylar: Near the rounded projection of the bone.
Cortical: The outer layer of the bone.
Distal: The end of the bone farther from the body's center. For instance, the distal end of the femur is the end by the knee.
Extracapsular: Outside the joint capsule.
Midshaft: In the middle - rather than near the end - of the bone.
Periarticular: Situated around the joint area.
Proximal: Opposite of distal - the end of the bone closest to the body's center. For the femur, the proximal end is part of the hip joint.
Tuft: Distal phalanges (the tips of the fingers).
ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert
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Report ICD-9 Only for Transferred Patient
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Talk to Carrier for Splint Check
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Get Doctor's Review for History Elements
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Think Twice About 'Incident-To' in the ED
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