ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

0QSB44Z

Reposition Lower Femur, Right to No Qualifier with Internal Fixation Device, Percutaneous Endoscopic Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body SystemQ Lower Bones
OperationS Reposition
Body PartB Lower Femur, Right
Approach4 Percutaneous Endoscopic
Device4 Internal Fixation Device
QualifierZ 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: 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: Internal Fixation Device

Internal fixation device is the general value for hardware such as plates, screws, or rods placed within the body to stabilize bone or joint, used when a more specific configuration is not indicated. It stands in contrast to the named subtypes - Rigid Plate, Intramedullary, Sustained Compression, and Intramedullary Limb Lengthening - which specify how the hardware achieves stabilization.

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.

Commonly Confused With

RepairRepair is the main point of confusion, since both can appear in fracture care documentation; Repair applies only when no formal repositioning or fixation of a fragment takes place.
FusionFusion is distinct because it targets a joint to eliminate motion permanently, while Reposition preserves the bone's normal mobility once healed.
DivisionDivision is sometimes confused with corrective osteotomy, but Division simply separates bone without relocating it, whereas Reposition requires the fragment to be moved to a new, more functional position.