Summary & Overview

CPT 0347T: Tantalum Marker Placement for Implant Motion and Wear Assessment

CPT code 0347T covers placement of multiple tantalum beads in bone and acquisition of a two-dimensional image to measure motion, quality, and wear of an implant or prosthesis. This code supports advanced implant surveillance and research-quality assessments of prosthetic performance, with implications for postoperative management, device surveillance, and outcomes measurement nationwide. It matters both clinically—by providing objective data on implant behavior—and administratively, as payers consider coverage for specialized imaging and marker placement linked to device evaluation.

Key payers in the scope of typical coverage discussions include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of clinical context for marker-assisted implant assessment, typical settings where the service is performed, and what to expect in payer review. The publication outlines benchmarking topics and policy considerations relevant to coverage decisions, coding nuances for operations involving implants, and patterns in utilization when available. Data not available in the input for detailed payer-specific rates, associated taxonomies, and ICD-10 diagnosis mappings is noted for transparency.

This piece provides clinicians, billing professionals, and policy analysts a concise reference to the clinical purpose of CPT code 0347T, the service setting, and the payer landscape to inform coding, billing, and coverage conversations at the national level.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareMedicareCPT 0347Timplant assessmenttantalum markersorthopedic imagingprocedure codingimplant wear analysissurgical imagingdevice surveillance

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 0347T describes the placement of multiple tantalum beads in the interstitial spaces of bones with acquisition of a two-dimensional image to measure the motion, quality, and wear of an implant or prosthesis. This procedure is a marker placement and imaging service intended to enable precise assessment of prosthetic or implant kinematics and wear characteristics.

Service type: Implant marker placement with associated imaging to evaluate implant motion, quality, and wear
Typical site of service: Ambulatory surgical center or hospital operating/procedure room where sterile marker placement and intraoperative or perioperative imaging can be performed

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A typical patient is a 62-year-old individual with a painful, loosening total hip or knee arthroplasty who presents for evaluation of implant micromotion and wear. The orthopedic surgeon elects to perform tantalum bead implantation (marker placement) in the periprosthetic bone during a brief operative procedure under regional or general anesthesia. Multiple small tantalum beads are placed in the interstitial bone surrounding the implant to serve as radiographic fiduciary markers. After bead placement, a two-dimensional radiographic image series (often standing AP and lateral views) is obtained to document the beads and prosthesis position. These images are used to perform radiostereometric analysis (RSA) or similar image-based methods to measure micro-motion, migration, and wear of the implant over time.

The clinical workflow: preoperative evaluation and consent; intraoperative sterile placement of tantalum beads around the implant; immediate postoperative radiographs to verify bead positions and implant alignment; documentation of bead count and locations in the operative note; scheduling of follow-up radiographs or RSA studies at defined intervals (typically 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, then yearly) to quantify implant migration and wear; interpretation and reporting by the orthopedic surgeon or radiologist with measurements compared to baseline images.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when work required is substantially greater than typical for bead placement (extensive dissection, unexpected complexity) and documentation supports increased work.
`23`	Unusual anesthesia	Use when procedure is performed under general anesthesia because of unusual circumstances (e.g., patient refusal of regional) and anesthesia is otherwise not planned.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when bead placement is partially performed or curtailed but not fully completed, with documentation of reduced service.
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when bead placement is started but stopped due to patient condition or unexpected findings and the procedure is abandoned.
`54`	Surgical care only	Use when the billing provider performed only the intraoperative surgical portion and postoperative care is transferred to another physician.
`55`	Postoperative management only	Use when the billing provider only manages postoperative care and not the surgery itself.
`56`	Preoperative management only	Use when the billing provider only performed preoperative evaluation and clearance for the procedure.
`62`	Two surgeons	Use when two surgeons work together as primary surgeons performing distinct, documented parts of the bead placement procedure.
`80`	Assistant surgeon	Use when an assistant surgeon provides intraoperative assistance and the payer allows reimbursement for assistant services.
`AS`	Physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist services for assistant at surgery	Use when an authorized non-physician practitioner acts as an assistant at surgery and payer rules permit reporting.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207X00000X	Orthopaedic Surgery	Orthopedic surgeons commonly perform tantalum bead placement during revision or investigational arthroplasty procedures.
2080P0220X	Orthopedic Surgery of the Lower Extremity	Subspecialty focus for hip and knee implant assessment and bead placement.
2086S0102X	Surgery - Prosthodontics/Implantology (Orthopedic implant-focused taxonomy equivalent)	Providers involved in implant analysis and prosthesis evaluation; used when available in system mappings.
207L00000X	Sports Medicine (Orthopedics)	Orthopedic sports medicine surgeons who manage joint replacements and motion analysis in select practices.
207RI0001X	Radiology - Diagnostic	Radiologists often perform or interpret the imaging component (RSA analysis) and provide measurements of migration.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`M16.11`	Unilateral primary osteoarthritis of hip, right	Common indication for hip arthroplasty; used when assessing implant migration/wear with tantalum markers.
`M17.11`	Unilateral primary osteoarthritis of knee, right	Common indication for knee arthroplasty; bead placement performed to track prosthesis stability and wear.
`T84.031A`	Dislocation of internal prosthetic joint, right shoulder, initial encounter	Postoperative prosthesis complications such as loosening or dislocation may prompt marker-based analysis.
`T84.021A`	Mechanical complication of prosthetic hip joint, initial encounter	Mechanical loosening or wear of hip prosthesis is directly evaluated with RSA using tantalum beads.
`M24.261`	Contracture, right ankle, ankle and foot	Joint instability or post-arthroplasty dysfunction in other joints may require prosthesis motion analysis when implants are present.
`M25.561`	Pain in right knee	Persistent pain after arthroplasty is a common clinical reason to assess implant migration and wear.
`M96.641`	Other mechanical complication of internal fixation device, right hip	Mechanical device issues prompting imaging-based assessment of migration and wear.
`Z47.89`	Other orthopedic aftercare	Used for follow-up imaging and monitoring after implant placement when marker-based surveillance is part of aftercare.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`0347T`	Placement of multiple tantalum beads in interstitial bone with obtaining a two-dimensional image to measure motion, quality, and wear of an implant or prosthesis	This is the primary procedure code describing intraoperative bead placement and immediate imaging for radiographic marker-based analysis.
`73565`	Radiographic examination, hip, unilateral; 2 views	Common immediate or follow-up radiograph used to document bead placement and baseline implant position for hip arthroplasty RSA protocols.
`73721`	Radiologic examination, knee; 2 views	Common imaging code used for knee arthroplasty bead placement baseline and follow-up radiographs.
`76000`	Fluoroscopic guidance; simple, up to 1 hour technician time	May be used if intraoperative fluoroscopic imaging is used to guide bead placement and document marker locations.
`76001`	Fluoroscopic guidance; complex, more than 1 hour technician time	Used when extended or complex fluoroscopic guidance is required during marker implantation.
`76377`	3D rendering with interpretation and reporting of CT, MRI, ultrasound, or other tomographic modality; may be relevant for advanced implant wear analysis	Performed when three-dimensional imaging or advanced rendering is obtained in conjunction with marker-based evaluation to quantify wear or migration.