ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

0MR14JZ

Replacement Shoulder Bursa and Ligament, Right to No Qualifier with Synthetic Substitute, Percutaneous Endoscopic Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body SystemM Bursae and Ligaments
OperationR Replacement
Body Part1 Shoulder Bursa and Ligament, Right
Approach4 Percutaneous Endoscopic
DeviceJ Synthetic 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 in this family involve putting in biological or synthetic material to physically stand in for all or part of a damaged bursa or, far more commonly, a ligament. The clearest example is anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, where a torn ACL is removed and replaced with a graft harvested from the patient's own patellar or hamstring tendon, from a donor, or occasionally a synthetic substitute, because the native ligament cannot be sutured back together and heal reliably.

These procedures are performed when a ligament tear is too severe, too chronic, or too central to joint stability for simple suturing to restore function - the knee, shoulder, and elbow are the joints where ligament replacement is most frequently needed. The goal is to give the joint a new structural cable capable of bearing the same mechanical loads as the original ligament, allowing patients to return to sports or daily activity with restored stability. Recovery is longer than for a simple repair, involving staged rehabilitation as the graft incorporates into the surrounding bone.

Anatomy & Axis Detail

Shoulder Bursa and Ligament, Right

The right shoulder's ligamentous support, including the coracoacromial, coracoclavicular, and glenohumeral ligaments, along with the subacromial bursa, governs the joint's exceptional range of motion while resisting dislocation. Replacement is indicated when a ligament is so severely torn, degenerated, or previously excised that direct repair cannot restore adequate stability, prompting substitution with autograft, allograft, or synthetic material, a scenario often seen after recurrent dislocation or failed prior surgery. The subacromial bursa may also require replacement-type reconstruction in rare cases of chronic destructive bursitis. Given how frequently the shoulder is operated on, precise documentation of which specific ligament was reconstructed and with what graft material is essential, since shoulder instability procedures vary considerably in technique and the material used affects long-term outcomes and coding.

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: Synthetic Substitute

Synthetic Substitute designates a device made from manufactured, non-biologic material, such as mesh or prosthetic components, used to replace or augment a body part. It is distinguished from the two tissue substitute categories by its artificial composition, which carries different considerations for integration and long-term durability than biologic grafts.

Coding & Documentation

Coders assign from this family when documentation clearly states that the native ligament or bursa was removed and a graft or prosthetic material was implanted to take its place - autograft, allograft, and synthetic ligament substitutes all qualify. The operative note should identify the graft source and confirm the original structure was excised rather than left in place. A common assignment error is coding Replacement when the surgeon actually augmented an intact ligament with additional material, which is Supplement; the deciding question is whether the native structure was taken out. Another pitfall is missing the correct body part value when a graft crosses two adjoining structures, such as ACL reconstruction touching both femoral and tibial attachment sites.

Commonly Confused With

SupplementSupplement is the operation most often mixed up with Replacement - Supplement reinforces a ligament that remains largely intact, while Replacement takes the damaged structure out and substitutes new material entirely.
RepairRepair is used instead when the native ligament can simply be sutured back together without any graft material.
ResectionResection differs in that no replacement material is introduced at all; the bursa or ligament is simply excised.