AHA Coding Clinic® for ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS - 2018 Issue 4; Added and Revised Device Values
Articulating Spacer for Hip and Knee Joint
The device value Articulating Spacer was added to the following tables: 0SP Removal of Lower Joints 0SR Replacement of Lower Joints Body PartDevice9 Hip Joint, Right B Hip Joint, Left E Articulating Spacer C Knee Joint, Right D Knee Joint, Left E Articulating Spacer The treatment for infected knee or hip arthroplasty requires removal of the implant and insertion of an antibiotic spacer for a period of months. This allows for more effective eradication of the infection. Antibiotic spacers can be classified into static (nonarticulating) spacers and articulating spacers. Static spacers keep open the space between the bones, and...
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Article Overview
This article covers an update to an inpatient procedure code table for lower-joint procedures involving a specific spacer device value, with discussion centered on hip and knee arthroplasty infection management. It is relevant to facility coders, CDI staff, and others working with ICD-10-PCS procedure reporting because it explains where the device value was added and describes the general clinical context in which spacer types are used. The article also summarizes the broader distinction between spacer categories and the associated procedural framework without providing a full coding decision workflow.
Why This Topic Matters
Accurate identification of spacer type affects inpatient procedure reporting for hip and knee joint cases, especially when infection management leads to staged treatment and later reimplantation. Understanding the code-table update helps coders recognize when documentation supports the newer device value versus the generic spacer category.
Article Sections
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Device value update for lower-joint tables
This section identifies the procedure tables affected by the new device value and shows the joint/body-part groupings involved. It provides the scope of the table update at a high level.
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Clinical context for hip and knee spacer use
This section summarizes why spacers are used in infected hip or knee arthroplasty and describes the general categories of spacer types. It also notes how the devices differ in broad functional terms.
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Placement, removal, and general reporting context
This section discusses the broader lifecycle of spacers in staged joint treatment and mentions the general procedural framework used for reporting. It also contrasts the newer device value with the existing generic spacer value at a high level.
What You Will Learn
- Which lower-joint procedure tables were updated
- The clinical context for spacer use in infected hip and knee arthroplasty
- The broad categories of spacer devices referenced in the article
- How the article frames the reporting context for spacer placement and later reimplantation
Who Should Read This
- Hospital inpatient coders
- Clinical documentation integrity specialists
- Health information management professionals
- ICD-10-PCS users
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