0PS000Z
Reposition Sternum to No Qualifier with Internal Fixation Device, Rigid Plate, Open Approach
Procedural Specifications
| Clinical Axis | Detail Definition |
|---|---|
| Section | 0 Medical and Surgical |
| Body System | P Upper Bones |
| Operation | S Reposition |
| Body Part | 0 Sternum |
| Approach | 0 Open |
| Device | 0 Internal Fixation Device, Rigid Plate |
| 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
This family describes moving a bone of the skull, face, chest wall, or upper extremity back to its normal anatomic location, or to another location that will function better, without cutting the bone free and removing it from the body. It's the code family used for reducing a displaced fracture, correcting a malunion, or realigning a bone that has shifted out of its normal position due to trauma or a congenital condition.
The procedure preserves the bone's own blood supply and continuity while adjusting its position - fixation with pins, plates, or screws is often part of the same operative episode to hold the corrected alignment in place.
Anatomy & Axis Detail
Sternum
The sternum is the flat midline bone anchoring the anterior rib cage and protecting the heart and great vessels immediately behind it, and its position is fundamental to chest wall symmetry and respiratory mechanics. Reposition of the sternum is performed most often for pectus deformities, where the bone is surgically freed and moved into a corrected anterior-posterior position, or after malunion of a sternal fracture that has healed with unacceptable displacement affecting cosmesis or cardiopulmonary function. Because the sternum sits directly over mediastinal structures, moving it requires careful management of the retrosternal space to avoid injury to the heart or vessels during elevation or rotation of the bone. Fixation with plates, wires, or struts is commonly used to hold the sternum in its new position while healing occurs.
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: Internal Fixation Device, Rigid Plate
A rigid plate internal fixation device is a metal plate secured to bone with screws to hold fracture fragments or a fusion site in a fixed position, providing stability along the outer bone surface. It differs from an intramedullary device, which is inserted into the hollow medullary canal of the bone rather than applied externally to its surface.
Coding & Documentation
A coder looks for language describing realignment, reduction, or repositioning of a fragment or whole bone as the defining clue, distinguishing it from repair language about restoring damaged tissue in place. Fixation devices used to hold the new position should be captured through the device value on the same code rather than as a separate procedure when performed at the same operative site. A common error is coding an open reduction and internal fixation entirely as repair, missing that the reduction component is reposition while the fixation is captured through the device character. Another pitfall is failing to distinguish reposition from resection when a bone fragment is removed rather than realigned.