Coding Arthroplasties Knee and HIP

Coding arthroplasties can be quite easy if one is aware of the code ranges and their descriptions. Arthroplasty involves the use of prosthetic joint and can be either total i.e. involving the whole joint or partial i.e. hemiarthroplasties involving partial or one compartment of the joint.

Hip Arthroplasty CPT codes 27125-27132
Hip arthroplasties can be total or hemiarthroplasty. Hemiarthroplasty involves either acetabular or femoral component replacement, whereas total hip arthroplasty involve prosthetic replacement of both acetabular and femoral components. Hemiarthroplasty is also called as bipolar arthroplasty. CPT codes are as follows:
Hemarthroplasty 27125
Total hip arthroplasty 27130

Sometimes a previous hip surgery need to be revised to total hip arthroplasty and CPT code 27132 can be used to represent such situations. Hip fractures requiring arthroplasty are coded to 27236. Corresponding ICD 9 CM codes for hip arthroplasty are:
Partial hip replacement: 81.52
Total hip replacement: 81.51
Type of bearing surface(prosthesis): 00.74-00.77

Knee Arthroplasty
Knee arhroplasty is of two types unicompartmental and total. Unicomparmental knee artroplasty involves single compartment whereas total knee arthropalsty involves two compartments. If an arthroscopy is done previous to knee replacement, then it is required to code arthroscopy and related arthroscopic procedure with 59 modifier. If open retinacular release is done during the knee replacement surgery then it should not be reported as it is included in the knee replacement code. The following are the CPT codes:

Unicompartental knee arthroplasty: CPT 27446, ICD 81.54
Total knee arthroplasty: CPT 27447 ICD 81.54
Revision of total knee arthrplasty: CPT 27487, ICD 81.55
Removal of total knee prosthesis: CPT 27488, ICD 80.06