ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

0Q830ZZ

Division Pelvic Bone, Left to No Qualifier with No Device, Open Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body SystemQ Lower Bones
Operation8 Division
Body Part3 Pelvic Bone, Left
Approach0 Open
DeviceZ No Device
QualifierZ No Qualifier

Operation Definition

Cutting into a body part, without draining fluids and/or gases from the body part, in order to separate or transect a body part

Procedure Overview

Division procedures in the lower bones involve cutting into a bone to separate or transect it, without draining any fluid or gas in the process. The clearest example is an osteotomy performed to realign a deformed limb - cutting through the femur, tibia, or another lower bone so the two segments can be repositioned into better alignment, often before fixation hardware holds the new position in place.

These procedures are used for correcting angular deformities, lengthening or shortening a limb segment, or releasing a bony bridge such as a growth plate bar that is restricting normal bone growth in a child.

Anatomy & Axis Detail

Pelvic Bone, Left

On the left side, pelvic bone division is most often performed as part of a corrective osteotomy addressing hip dysplasia, acetabular malorientation, or post-traumatic pelvic deformity, cutting through the ilium or innominate bone to allow the acetabular fragment or hemipelvis to be repositioned. This transection does not remove bone tissue but separates it to permit realignment, after which fixation hardware secures the new position in a distinct procedural step. The left pelvic bone's relationship to the bladder, rectum, obturator neurovascular bundle, and lumbosacral plexus makes surgical approach and osteotomy pattern important details in the operative note, and coders should confirm laterality and distinguish this maneuver, a clean bone division, from any concurrent excision or resection of pelvic tissue.

Approach: Open

Open approach means the surgeon cuts through skin, mucous membrane, or other tissue layers to physically expose the target site to view before performing the procedure. It gives direct visualization and hands-on access, distinguishing it from Percutaneous approaches where instruments pass through a small puncture without exposing the site. Open is typical for procedures needing wide access, such as most laparotomies.

Coding & Documentation

Coders should confirm the note describes cutting the bone through its full thickness to separate it into distinct segments, distinguishing it from a partial cut or notch. If the surgeon also placed fixation hardware to hold the newly divided bone in position, that stabilization step is coded separately as Insertion in addition to the Division.

A frequent mistake is coding Division when the intent and outcome was actually a fusion - if the bone segments were subsequently joined together, Fusion may be the more accurate root operation for that portion of the procedure. Coders should also avoid defaulting to Division for procedures where fluid was drained as part of the cut, since draining changes the root operation to Drainage.

Commonly Confused With

FusionFusion (0QG) is the procedure most often confused with Division, since an osteotomy is sometimes performed as a preliminary step before fusing bone segments together - the cutting is Division, but joining the segments so they grow together is Fusion.
DrainageDrainage (0Q9) differs because it involves letting fluids or gases out of a bone, which Division specifically excludes.
ExcisionExcision is distinct because it removes a portion of bone rather than simply separating it into two connected or repositioned pieces.