Reporting Vertebral Body Tethering (22836-22838) (January 2024)

January 2024 page 26 Reporting Vertebral Body Tethering (22836-22838) For the CPT 2024 code set, three new codes (22836-22838) were added to the Musculoskeletal System subsection of the Surgery section to describe anterior thoracic vertebral body tethering (VBT). New guidelines and parenthetical notes were also added to instruct users of the appropriate code(s) to report thoracic VBT. This article provides an overview of the new codes and their intended use. Spine (Vertebral Column) Spinal Instrumentation Codes 22836, 22837, 22838 describe anterior thoracic vertebral body tethering, which corrects scoliosis without fusion using a tether (cord) to compress the vertebral growth...

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Note:  The following article synopsis was NOT provided by the AMA. It was created by Find-A-Code/innoviHealth.

Article Overview

This January 2024 CPT Assistant article reviews the CPT 2024 changes tied to vertebral body tethering in the thoracic spine. It is relevant to coders, billers, spine surgeons, and orthopedic and neurosurgical practices that report spinal deformity and instrumentation services. The article covers the new thoracic VBT codes, related revisions to Category III reporting for nonthoracic regions, and accompanying guideline and parenthetical-note updates.

Why This Topic Matters

The article helps readers understand how CPT 2024 reorganized reporting for vertebral body tethering across spine regions and how those changes connect to existing spine instrumentation and deformity guidance.

Article Sections

  1. Overview

    Introduces the CPT 2024 update and summarizes the addition of new thoracic vertebral body tethering reporting options. It also notes that related guidelines and parenthetical notes were revised.

  2. Spine (Vertebral Column) / Spinal Instrumentation

    Provides the spine context for the article and addresses thoracic vertebral body tethering alongside related spine instrumentation guidance. This section frames the topic within broader spinal reporting categories.

  3. Code guidance and related parenthetical notes

    Discusses the new thoracic tethering codes, modifier use in a shared-surgeon setting, and the way the article links these updates to other spine reporting instructions. It also references related revisions for nonthoracic vertebral body tethering reporting.

  4. Clinical examples and procedural descriptions

    Presents illustrative clinical scenarios and procedural narratives associated with the new thoracic tethering codes. These examples show the type of cases addressed by the updated reporting structure.

What You Will Learn

  • How the CPT 2024 update addresses thoracic vertebral body tethering reporting
  • What general categories of guideline and parenthetical-note changes accompanied the new codes
  • How the article situates thoracic tethering within broader spine instrumentation and deformity guidance
  • What kinds of clinical scenarios the article uses to illustrate the updated reporting framework

Who Should Read This

  • Medical coders
  • Certified professional billers
  • Orthopedic spine practices
  • Neurosurgery practices
  • Health information management professionals

Codes Discussed

Code Ranges Discussed

Modifiers Discussed


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