ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

0PN94ZZ

Release Clavicle, Right to No Qualifier with No Device, Percutaneous Endoscopic Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body SystemP Upper Bones
OperationN Release
Body Part9 Clavicle, Right
Approach4 Percutaneous Endoscopic
DeviceZ No Device
QualifierZ No Qualifier

Operation Definition

Freeing a body part from an abnormal physical constraint by cutting or by the use of force

Procedure Overview

Release procedures free an upper bone from an abnormal physical constraint, cutting or dividing surrounding scar tissue, fibrous bands, or fused structures without cutting into the bone that is being freed. This applies across the clavicle, scapula, ribs, sternum, humerus, radius, ulna, and hand bones whenever something outside the bone itself is restricting its normal position or movement.

A common example is a fibrous or bony bridge that has abnormally connected two bones that should move independently, restricting rotation of the forearm, or scar tissue from a prior injury or surgery pinning a bone in place. The purpose of Release is to restore the bone's natural range of motion or position by eliminating whatever is holding it back, rather than by reshaping the bone itself.

Anatomy & Axis Detail

Clavicle, Right

The right clavicle is the long, S-shaped bone connecting the sternum to the shoulder and lying subcutaneously along its length, making it prone to compressive fibrous bands in conditions such as costoclavicular syndrome, where tissue between the clavicle and first rib narrows the space for the subclavian vessels and brachial plexus. Release procedures free the clavicle from this constricting tissue, addressing the compressive band directly rather than removing or reshaping clavicular bone, which would instead be coded as excision or resection. Because the clavicle sits above major neurovascular structures at the thoracic outlet, careful dissection is required to relieve the compression without injury. Operative notes should describe the specific band or adhesion released and confirm involvement of the right clavicle.

Approach: Percutaneous Endoscopic

Percutaneous Endoscopic combines a puncture through skin or mucous membrane with insertion of an endoscope to visualize the procedure internally, as in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. It is distinguished from plain Percutaneous by the presence of scope-guided visualization, and from Via Natural or Artificial Opening Endoscopic by its route being a new puncture rather than an existing orifice or stoma.

Coding & Documentation

Operative documentation supporting Release describes cutting, dividing, or freeing adhesions, scar tissue, or a constraining bridge around the bone, with the emphasis on liberating the bone rather than altering its own shape or removing tissue from it. Terms like takedown, lysis of adhesions, or freeing a synostosis point toward this root operation.

A frequent mistake is confusing Release with Division when the abnormal constraint is actually made of bone itself, such as a bony bridge between two bones; despite the bone being cut, coding conventions still classify freeing that constraint as Release since the intent is liberating the trapped bone, not dividing it into pieces. Another common error is coding Release when tissue was actually excised and removed, which shifts the correct root operation to Excision instead.

Commonly Confused With

DivisionDivision is the closest relative, and the distinguishing question is always whether the goal is separating the bone into portions versus freeing it from something external; Release never removes any tissue.
ExcisionExcision is confused with Release when the constraining tissue is cut out and taken away rather than simply divided and left in place.
RepairRepair is sometimes mistakenly used for adhesion removal, but Repair applies only when no other root operation more specifically describes the objective.