ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

0QRF47Z

Replacement Patella, Left to No Qualifier with Autologous Tissue Substitute, Percutaneous Endoscopic Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body SystemQ Lower Bones
OperationR Replacement
Body PartF Patella, Left
Approach4 Percutaneous Endoscopic
Device7 Autologous Tissue Substitute
QualifierZ No Qualifier

Operation Definition

Putting in or on biological or synthetic material that physically takes the place and/or function of all or a portion of a body part

Procedure Overview

Replacement procedures put in biological or synthetic material that physically takes over the role of all or part of a lower bone. This includes structural bone grafts, cadaver bone allografts, and synthetic bone substitutes used to rebuild a portion of the pelvis, femur, tibia, fibula, or foot bones after tumor resection, severe trauma, or bone loss from infection.

These procedures are performed when a segment of bone is missing or so damaged that it can no longer support the body's structure or function on its own, and simply repairing or repositioning the remaining bone isn't enough. A patient who has had a tumor removed from the femoral shaft, for example, may need the resulting gap filled with a structural allograft to restore the bone's load-bearing capacity.

Anatomy & Axis Detail

Patella, Left

The left patella sits within the quadriceps and patellar tendons, articulating against the femoral trochlea to transmit extensor force across the knee. Replacement here involves resurfacing the worn posterior articular cartilage with a prosthetic component, most commonly performed alongside femoral and tibial replacement during total knee arthroplasty for advanced osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, or patellofemoral degeneration causing anterior knee pain and crepitus. The remaining bone stock is shaped to accept a cemented implant that reproduces the native trochlear groove-tracking relationship, and precise centering is important to prevent lateral subluxation or accelerated implant wear. Because some surgeons elect to leave the native patella unresurfaced during knee arthroplasty, documentation should clearly confirm that patellar replacement was actually performed rather than assumed as part of a broader knee reconstruction.

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.

Device: Autologous Tissue Substitute

Autologous Tissue Substitute identifies a device value where material harvested from the patient's own body, such as an autograft, is used to replace or reconstruct a body part. Its defining feature is tissue origin from the patient, setting it apart from Nonautologous Tissue Substitute, sourced from a donor or animal, and Synthetic Substitute, made of manufactured material.

Coding & Documentation

Documentation must describe material being put in that takes over the physical role of the bone segment - not material that merely reinforces existing bone, which would be Supplement instead. The type of graft or substitute material and the specific bone segment addressed both need to be clear in the operative note. A frequent error is coding Replacement when bone graft is used to fill a defect but the native bone structure is still largely intact and functional, which points toward Supplement rather than Replacement; another is confusing joint replacement procedures, which are coded to the Lower Joints body system, with bone-segment replacement coded here.

Commonly Confused With

SupplementSupplement is the closest and most frequently confused root operation, since both can involve grafting material into bone; the distinguishing factor is whether the material takes the place of a missing or resected bone segment (Replacement) or reinforces bone that is still structurally present (Supplement).
InsertionInsertion is distinct because it covers placing a device that doesn't physically substitute for bone tissue, such as a spacer.
RepositionReposition is unrelated in purpose, since it moves existing bone rather than replacing missing bone with new material.