AMA Clinical Examples in Radiology - 2023 Issue 4 (Fall)
Cervical and Lumbar Facet Joint Steroid Injections
Fall 2023 pages 24-28 RADIOLOGY TEST CASE: This radiology test case is provided for coding professionals to test their knowledge. Please take time to review and code the case. Consider your answers as to how the procedure should be reported. Once you are confident of your answer, check the "Radiology Test Case Answer" on page 30 for the correct answer and discussion. Cervical and Lumbar Facet Joint Steroid Injections CLINICAL HISTORY A 74-year-old female presents with facet joint arthropathy at C5-C6 and C6-C7, causing neck pain on the left. She also has Grade 1 spondylolisthesis at L4-L5 with severe bilateral...
Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.
Article Overview
This article presents a radiology coding test case involving cervical and lumbar facet joint steroid injections. It is designed for coding professionals who want to assess how the procedure should be reported in a dual-region spine intervention setting. The content includes the clinical scenario, procedural workflow, imaging guidance, sedation use, and a discussion prompt that points readers to the answer and related commentary in the magazine issue.
Why This Topic Matters
Facet joint injection cases often require careful review of anatomy, laterality, imaging guidance, and procedural context. This article helps coders and auditors understand the scope of a real-world radiology example so they can compare their coding knowledge against the publication’s answer discussion.
Article Sections
-
Fall 2023 pages 24-28
Issue and page reference information for the radiology test case.
-
RADIOLOGY TEST CASE
Introduces the case format and explains that readers are expected to review the procedure and consider how it should be reported.
-
Cervical and Lumbar Facet Joint Steroid Injections
Presents the patient scenario, procedural setting, imaging guidance, sedation context, and the sequence of cervical and lumbar spine injections.
-
CLINICAL HISTORY
Summarizes the patient’s spine-related findings and symptoms relevant to the injection case.
-
PROCEDURE
States the broad intervention performed at cervical and lumbar facet joints with laterality and level information.
-
TECHNIQUE
Describes the procedural workflow, including positioning, fluoroscopic guidance, needle placement, contrast use, and sedation documentation.
-
IMPRESSION
Summarizes the successful completion of the procedures and the treated spinal levels.
What You Will Learn
- How a cervical and lumbar facet joint injection case is structured for coding review
- What procedural elements are documented in a radiology test case
- How laterality, spinal levels, imaging guidance, and sedation appear in the case documentation
- How the article frames a reporting exercise for coding professionals
Who Should Read This
- Medical coders
- Radiology coders
- Coding auditors
- Revenue cycle professionals
- Physician documentation reviewers
Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.


Quick, Current, Complete - www.findacode.com