2025 CPT code 29861
Effective Date: N/A Surgery - Surgical Procedures on the Musculoskeletal System Feed
Arthroscopy, hip, surgical; with removal of loose body or foreign body
Modifiers may be applicable to 29861. For instance, modifier 51 (Multiple Procedures) would be used if the procedure was performed in conjunction with an arthrotomy.Modifier 76 could indicate a repeat procedure by the same physician.
Medical necessity for 29861 must be supported by documentation indicating the patient’s symptoms (e.g., pain, limited range of motion, mechanical symptoms), failed conservative treatment, and imaging evidence of the loose body or foreign body. The documentation should establish a direct link between the patient's symptoms and the presence of the loose/foreign body within the hip joint.
The surgeon is responsible for performing the entire procedure, including patient positioning (traction on the leg), making the incisions, inserting the arthroscope and instruments, removing the loose or foreign bodies, irrigating the joint, and closing the incisions.
In simple words: This procedure is a minimally invasive surgery to remove loose fragments or foreign objects from your hip joint. The surgeon uses a small camera (arthroscope) inserted through tiny incisions to see inside the joint and remove the source of pain or discomfort.
This code describes a surgical procedure where an arthroscope is inserted into the hip joint to visualize and remove a loose body or foreign body.The procedure involves making small incisions around the hip joint, inserting the arthroscope (a small camera attached to a tube), and then using specialized instruments to retrieve the loose or foreign material. The loose or foreign bodies may include fragments of bone, cartilage, or other materials.
Example 1: A 25-year-old athlete experiences persistent hip pain and limited range of motion after a fall. Imaging reveals a loose body in the hip joint. CPT code 29861 is used for the arthroscopic removal of the loose body., A 40-year-old patient with a history of hip surgery presents with recurrent hip pain.A small piece of a previously implanted suture anchor has broken loose and is now causing impingement. CPT code 29861 is used to arthroscopically retrieve the loose fragment., Following a car accident, a 30-year-old patient has a small bone fragment lodged in their hip joint. CPT code 29861 is used for the arthroscopic removal of the bone fragment.
Documentation should include details about the size and nature of the loose body or foreign body, the location within the hip joint, the surgical technique used, and any complications encountered. Pre- and postoperative imaging studies confirming the presence and subsequent removal of the loose/foreign body are also beneficial.
- Revenue Code: P8A
- Specialties:Orthopedic Surgery, Sports Medicine
- Place of Service:Ambulatory Surgical Center, Hospital- Outpatient