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Transfer Upper Spine Bursa and Ligament to No Qualifier with No Device, Open Approach
Procedural Specifications
| Clinical Axis | Detail Definition |
|---|---|
| Section | 0 Medical and Surgical |
| Body System | M Bursae and Ligaments |
| Operation | X Transfer |
| Body Part | C Upper Spine Bursa and Ligament |
| Approach | 0 Open |
| Device | Z No Device |
| Qualifier | Z No Qualifier |
Operation Definition
Moving, without taking out, all or a portion of a body part to another location to take over the function of all or a portion of a body part
Procedure Overview
Transfer procedures in this family move a bursa or ligament, or a portion of one, from its native location to a new site so it can take over the mechanical job normally performed by a different structure, without detaching its original blood and nerve supply. This is most often seen in tendon transfer surgery involving ligamentous tissue used to restore function after nerve injury, chronic tendon rupture, or joint instability where the original stabilizing structure can no longer do its job.
Because the tissue stays connected to its native blood supply, these procedures differ from a graft, which is fully detached and moved elsewhere. Surgeons choose this approach when a nearby ligament or bursal structure is healthy enough to be rerouted and can plausibly substitute for a damaged one, offering better long-term durability than an artificial replacement in select patients.
Anatomy & Axis Detail
Upper Spine Bursa and Ligament
The bursae and ligaments of the upper spine, including the ligamentum flavum, interspinous, and supraspinous ligaments, maintain segmental stability of the cervical and upper thoracic vertebrae while allowing the controlled flexion and extension needed for head and neck movement. A transfer in this region involves mobilizing a strip of this ligamentous tissue, kept attached to its blood supply, to reinforce or replace the function of an adjacent structure weakened by degeneration or prior surgery, an approach occasionally incorporated into complex spinal stabilization procedures. Because the spinal ligaments lie in close proximity to neural structures, any transfer here demands careful attention to avoid compromising the spinal canal, and documentation should clearly identify which ligamentous segment was repositioned and toward what anatomic goal.
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
A code from this family applies when documentation clearly shows tissue being rerouted to a new location while remaining attached to its vascular pedicle, with the explicit intent of taking over another structure's function. The operative report should name both the origin site and the new destination, along with the functional deficit being addressed. Coders frequently misassign these cases as Transplantation, which requires the tissue to be completely freed from its original site, or as Repair, when the surgeon has simply reattached tissue back to its original position rather than relocating it to serve a new purpose.