2025 CPT code 24138
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Revision Date: N/A Surgery - Surgical Procedures on the Musculoskeletal System Musculoskeletal System Feed
Surgical removal of a sequestrum (piece of dead bone) from the olecranon process of the elbow.
Modifiers may apply depending on the circumstances of the procedure (e.g., 51 for multiple procedures, 76 for repeat procedure, 59 for distinct procedural service). Consult the CPT manual for more details.
Medical necessity is established by the presence of a bone abscess or osteomyelitis in the olecranon process that is unresponsive to conservative management.The procedure is necessary to remove the infected bone, prevent further spread of infection, promote healing, and improve patient outcomes. The necessity should be supported by clinical findings and imaging.
The surgeon makes an incision, accesses the necrotic bone, removes the infected tissue, irrigates the area with antibiotics, controls bleeding, and closes the wound in layers.
In simple words: This surgery removes a piece of dead bone from the bony point of your elbow (the olecranon). This is done to treat an infection in the bone and stop it from spreading.
Sequestrectomy of the olecranon process involves the surgical removal of a sequestrum, a piece of necrotic bone, from the olecranon process of the elbow.The procedure typically includes an incision over the infected area, access to the necrotic bone, removal of infected tissue, wound irrigation with an antibiotic solution, hemostasis, and layered closure of the wound.This is performed to address osteomyelitis or bone abscess in the olecranon process, limiting the spread of infection.
Example 1: A 50-year-old patient presents with a chronic bone infection (osteomyelitis) in the olecranon process following a previous elbow fracture.A sequestrectomy is performed to remove the necrotic bone and prevent further infection., A 25-year-old patient suffers a severe elbow injury with an open fracture of the olecranon, resulting in a bone abscess. Following initial fracture care, a sequestrectomy is performed to remove the infected bone fragments., A 70-year-old patient with diabetes develops osteomyelitis in the olecranon process, likely due to compromised circulation. A sequestrectomy is done to remove the dead bone and address the infection, followed by long-term antibiotic therapy.
Preoperative and postoperative diagnoses, operative report detailing the extent of bone removal, type and amount of irrigation solution used, cultures taken and results, images (X-rays, etc.) showing the extent of infection before and after surgery, pathology report, and any complications.
** The size of the sequestrum removed is not a factor in code selection.Consider additional codes for other procedures done during the same surgical session (e.g., debridement, wound closure).
- Payment Status: Active
- Modifier TC rule: TC modifier is not applicable.
- Specialties:Orthopedic Surgery
- Place of Service:Inpatient Hospital, Ambulatory Surgical Center, Outpatient Hospital