Orthopedic Coding Alert

Question: Our surgeon obtained a bone graft from the lateral wall of the calcaneus.  Op note states separate incision.  Op note reads as follows: "drill guide was utilized to procure several good core samples of cancellous bone. Cancellous bone was then packed into the calcaneocuboid joint....". The procedure done was a hindfoot calcaneal-cuboid fusion. How do we report this? North Carolina Subscriber

Answer: Your surgeon should be able to guide you for the size of the graft. For a small graft, you report 20900 (Bone graft, any donor area; minor or small [eg, dowel or button]) and for a large graft, you report code 20902 (Bone graft, any donor area; major or large)