0QSB0DZ
Reposition Lower Femur, Right to No Qualifier with External Fixation Device, Hybrid, Open Approach
Procedural Specifications
| Clinical Axis | Detail Definition |
|---|---|
| Section | 0 Medical and Surgical |
| Body System | Q Lower Bones |
| Operation | S Reposition |
| Body Part | B Lower Femur, Right |
| Approach | 0 Open |
| Device | D External Fixation Device, Hybrid |
| Qualifier | Z No Qualifier |
Operation Definition
Moving to its normal location, or other suitable location, all or a portion of a body part
Procedure Overview
Reposition procedures move a lower bone, or a fragment of one, from an abnormal location to its correct anatomical position, or to another location that will let it function properly. This is the category most fracture reductions fall into, along with corrective osteotomies performed to realign a bone that has healed crookedly or grown abnormally, and procedures that move a bone segment to a new site for reconstructive purposes.
These operations address displaced fractures of the pelvis, femur, tibia, fibula, patella, or foot bones, as well as deformities such as a bowed tibia or a malaligned metatarsal that needs to be cut and shifted into better alignment. Fixation devices like plates, screws, rods, or external fixators are frequently used alongside the repositioning to hold the bone in its new location while it heals.
Anatomy & Axis Detail
Lower Femur, Right
The right lower femur comprises the distal metaphysis and condyles of the thighbone, forming the femoral component of the knee joint and articulating with the tibial plateau and patella. Reposition is used for displaced supracondylar or condylar fractures, where the distal fragment has shifted out of its normal alignment with the femoral shaft or knee joint surface, and the bone is manipulated back into correct position to restore joint congruity and limb alignment. Because the popliteal vessels and peroneal nerve lie in close proximity to this region, reduction must be performed carefully to avoid neurovascular injury. The reposition code is specific to this distal segment, separate from any subsequent fixation or from procedures on the femoral shaft above.
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: External Fixation Device, Hybrid
A hybrid external fixation device combines ring and monoplanar (linear) components within a single frame, allowing different fixation strategies at different levels of the same limb, such as ring fixation near a joint and linear fixation along the shaft. It is distinguished from pure ring or pure monoplanar frames by this mixed construction.
Coding & Documentation
The operative note needs to document that a bone or bone fragment was moved to a different position, whether by closed manipulation or open surgical exposure, and should specify any fixation device left in place, since that device is captured as a separate value on the same code rather than a separate procedure. Coders must distinguish open versus percutaneous versus external approaches carefully, as this changes the approach value substantially. A common mistake is coding a simple cast application or splinting as Reposition when no manipulation of bone position actually occurred, and another is failing to capture the device value when hardware is placed during the same reduction.