ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

0SR70KZ

Replacement Sacroiliac Joint, Right to No Qualifier with Nonautologous Tissue Substitute, Open Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body SystemS Lower Joints
OperationR Replacement
Body Part7 Sacroiliac Joint, Right
Approach0 Open
DeviceK Nonautologous 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

Joint replacement in the lower extremities involves removing damaged or arthritic surfaces of a hip, knee, or ankle and implanting an artificial device that takes over the joint's function. Surgeons turn to this once medications, injections, and physical therapy no longer control the pain or stiffness of advanced osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, avascular necrosis, or a joint destroyed by prior trauma. The goal is restoring the ability to walk, climb stairs, and move without bone grinding on bone.

Implants are made of metal alloys, ceramic, or high-grade polyethylene, and a case can replace an entire joint (total) or a single compartment (partial). Recovery centers on physical therapy to build strength around the new joint; most patients regain substantial function within a few months, though the device will eventually wear and may need revision decades later.

Anatomy & Axis Detail

Sacroiliac Joint, Right

The right sacroiliac joint links the sacrum to the right ilium, a joint that transmits load between the spine and lower extremity and moves through only a small range via strong anterior, posterior, and interosseous ligaments rather than a typical synovial glide. Degenerative sacroiliitis, post-traumatic arthritis, or chronic instability at this joint can cause pain in the buttock and low back that mimics lumbar spine or hip pathology, complicating diagnosis. Replacement of the right sacroiliac joint involves implanting a device across the joint to stabilize and, in some systems, partially restore its native mechanics, an approach distinct from fusion techniques that eliminate motion entirely. Because the sacroiliac joint's biomechanical role bridging axial and appendicular skeletons is asymmetric, laterality documentation is essential to distinguish this procedure from the analogous left-sided operation.

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.

Device: Nonautologous Tissue Substitute

Nonautologous Tissue Substitute refers to biologic material sourced from a donor or another species, such as an allograft or xenograft, used to replace a body part. It differs from Autologous Tissue Substitute by tissue origin outside the patient's own body, and from Synthetic Substitute by being biologic rather than manufactured material.

Coding & Documentation

A coder assigns Replacement when the operative note documents removal of the native articular surface and insertion of a device meant to permanently substitute for it, not merely resurface it. Documentation should specify the joint, laterality, and whether the procedure was total or partial, since these drive qualifier selection. A common error is confusing partial resurfacing that leaves native bone intact with full Replacement, or missing that a revision arthroplasty swapping the entire prosthesis is still Replacement rather than Revision.

Commonly Confused With

RepositionReposition and Resection are most often mixed up with Replacement: Reposition realigns a joint without removing it, as in an osteotomy, while Resection removes the joint surface without inserting a substitute, as in a resection arthroplasty.
RevisionRevision addresses a malfunctioning or displaced device already in place and only becomes Replacement again if the entire prosthesis is exchanged for a new one.