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American Medical Association
CPT Coding and
the term "FUSION" |
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The American Medical Association Current
Procedural Terminology Manual (AMA CPT) codes for a "single cage fusion"
are # 22630 and 22861. The AMA CPT codes for
"dorsal lateral strut bone flexible stabilization arthrodesis"
are # 22590 and 22612 as shown below:
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In point of fact, according to AMA CPT codebook
the Board of A-NW hospital banned from use, the procedures
listed above.
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In banning a form of "fusion" it needs to be pointed out that the 2004 AMA CPT Coding
Manual does not contain the work "fusion." The term has,
in fact, been replaced by the word "arthrodesis." The
reason for this change is that the term "arthrodesis" (Gk arthro-joint,
desis- to bind) covers the spectrum of spine stabilization from
flexible to rigid procedures. The term "fusion" represents
only one end of the spectrum where the intent is to achieve a
rigid stabilization. There are those who believe that only
rigid "fusion" is acceptable in all spine surgery and
also believe that their
view is the only acceptable one.
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| POSTERIOR
INTERBODY SINGLE CAGE PLACEMENT |
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Since the introduction of posterior interbody titanium cages
it has increasingly popular to posteriorally place place single
intervertebral cages at an oblique angle. Zimmer spine has
coined and trademarked the term "POLAr" (Posterior Oblique
Lumbar ARthrodesis) as a means of identifying their
instrumentation developed for this purpose. |
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