ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

0QRL37Z

Replacement Tarsal, Right to No Qualifier with Autologous Tissue Substitute, Percutaneous Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body SystemQ Lower Bones
OperationR Replacement
Body PartL Tarsal, Right
Approach3 Percutaneous
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

Tarsal, Right

The tarsal bones of the right foot, including the talus, calcaneus, navicular, cuboid, and cuneiforms, form the complex hindfoot and midfoot architecture that transmits body weight from the tibia to the forefoot while allowing the subtle motion needed for walking on uneven surfaces. Replacement at this site is uncommon and generally reflects reconstruction after severe avascular necrosis of the talus, extensive post-traumatic collapse, tumor resection, or failed fusion, using a custom prosthetic implant or structural graft shaped to the specific tarsal bone involved. Because these bones interlock tightly and bear complex multidirectional loads, restoring precise anatomic contour and joint spacing is critical to preserving hindfoot alignment, and documentation should specify exactly which tarsal bone was replaced given the functional differences between, for example, the talus and the cuboid.

Approach: Percutaneous

Percutaneous describes entry by needle or instrument puncture through the skin or mucous membrane to reach the site of the procedure, without cutting the tissue open or using a visualizing scope. It differs from Open in that the site itself is never exposed, and from Percutaneous Endoscopic in that no endoscope is used to see internal structures. Common examples include needle biopsies and injections.

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.