AMA CPT® Assistant - 2017 Issue 2 (February)
Reporting Insertion of Spinal Stability-Distraction Device Without Fusion (February 2017)
February 2017 pages 9-11 Reporting Insertion of Spinal Stability-Distraction Device Without Fusion In 2008, the following Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) CPT Cat III codes for insertion of posterior spinous process distraction device(s) were implemented. 0171TInsertion of posterior spinous process distraction device (including necessary removal of bone or ligament for insertion and imaging guidance); lumbar; single level +0172Teach additional level (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure) At the time these codes were created, there was only one Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved device available for this procedure. Since then, other posterior spinous process devices and procedures...
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Article Overview
This article reviews CPT coding guidance for spinal stability-distraction device placement without fusion and explains how the 2017 code set addresses different procedural scenarios. It is relevant to coders, billers, and clinicians working in spine surgery, especially when documenting procedures with or without decompression and when distinguishing between related CPT reporting options. The article also includes clinical examples and procedure narratives tied to the codes discussed.
Why This Topic Matters
Accurate reporting for these spine procedures depends on understanding which CPT codes apply to the operative scenario and how the 2017 update changed the coding framework. This matters for claim accuracy, documentation alignment, and avoiding mismatched reporting across related spine procedures.
Article Sections
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February 2017 pages 9-11
Issue and page reference for the article content.
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Reporting Insertion of Spinal Stability-Distraction Device Without Fusion
Overview of the topic and the coding changes discussed for spine device placement without fusion.
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Clinical Example (22867) / Description of Procedure (22867)
A clinical scenario and associated operative narrative for one of the CPT examples discussed in the article.
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Clinical Example (22868) / Description of Procedure (22868)
A second-level clinical scenario and associated operative narrative for the related CPT example.
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Clinical Example (22869) / Description of Procedure (22869)
A clinical scenario and associated operative narrative for another CPT example in the article.
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Clinical Example (22870) / Description of Procedure (22870)
A second-level clinical scenario and associated operative narrative for the final CPT example.
What You Will Learn
- How the article frames CPT reporting for spinal stability-distraction device insertion without fusion
- Which procedural scenarios are discussed in relation to decompression and non-decompression cases
- What types of clinical examples and operative narratives are included for the codes referenced
- How the 2017 CPT update is presented in the context of related spine procedure coding
Who Should Read This
- Medical coders
- Coding auditors
- Spine surgery practices
- Facility coding staff
- Physician documentation teams
Codes Discussed
Code Ranges Discussed
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