ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

0QS20ZZ

Reposition Pelvic Bone, Right to No Qualifier with No Device, Open Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body SystemQ Lower Bones
OperationS Reposition
Body Part2 Pelvic Bone, Right
Approach0 Open
DeviceZ No 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

Pelvic Bone, Right

The right pelvic bone, comprising the ilium, ischium, and pubis fused around the acetabulum, forms half of the bony pelvic ring and anchors the lower limb to the axial skeleton. Reposition is performed after pelvic ring disruptions, such as open-book or lateral compression fractures, where displaced bone must be moved back to restore normal ring geometry and joint congruity before any fixation is applied. Because the pelvis houses major vessels, the lumbosacral plexus, and pelvic viscera, repositioning this bone requires careful control of reduction forces to avoid secondary injury to these structures. The procedure is coded based on the bone moved into corrected position, separate from any subsequent internal or external fixation device placement.

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.

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.