ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

0SUK07Z

Supplement Tarsometatarsal Joint, Right to No Qualifier with Autologous Tissue Substitute, Open Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body SystemS Lower Joints
OperationU Supplement
Body PartK Tarsometatarsal Joint, Right
Approach0 Open
Device7 Autologous Tissue Substitute
QualifierZ No Qualifier

Operation Definition

Putting in or on biological or synthetic material that physically reinforces and/or augments the function of a portion of a body part

Procedure Overview

Supplement procedures add biological or synthetic material to reinforce or augment a lower joint that is still structurally present but needs additional support. Ligament reconstruction, such as an ACL or PCL graft in the knee, is the classic example, along with labral augmentation in the hip or cartilage grafting. Unlike replacement, the native joint stays in place; the surgery strengthens a weakened or torn portion of it.

Grafts can come from the patient's own tissue, a donor, or synthetic material, and the choice often depends on age, activity level, and the structure being reinforced. These procedures are common after athletic injuries, aiming to restore stability so the joint can withstand normal or athletic loads again.

Anatomy & Axis Detail

Tarsometatarsal Joint, Right

The right tarsometatarsal joints, commonly called the Lisfranc joint complex, connect the midfoot's cuneiforms and cuboid to the metatarsal bases and are critical to transferring push-off force during walking; when ligamentous injury or degenerative change compromises this complex, surgeons may supplement it with graft material to reinforce the joint capsule or interosseous ligaments without performing a fusion. This approach is chosen when enough native joint function remains that augmentation, rather than arthrodesis, can restore stability. Because Lisfranc injuries are notorious for subtle instability that worsens over time if undertreated, documentation should specify the exact tarsometatarsal articulation reinforced and the graft material used, since these joints are frequently injured together but coded individually.

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: 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

Coders assign Supplement when documentation shows material was added to reinforce an existing body part rather than substitute for it, which requires confirming the native structure was not removed. Graft type, whether autograft, allograft, or synthetic, factors into the device value. A recurring mistake is coding a ligament reconstruction as Repair when a formal graft was placed, or conversely coding Supplement when the graft actually replaced a joint surface rather than reinforcing intact tissue.

Commonly Confused With

RepairSupplement is most often confused with Repair, since both can appear in operative notes for ligament work; the distinction is whether material was grafted in to reinforce the structure versus simply resutured or tightened without added tissue.
ReplacementIt also borders Replacement when a graft is extensive enough to functionally substitute for the original structure rather than reinforce it.