Summary & Overview

CPT 0718T: Ultrasound-Guided Autologous Cell Injection, Supraspinatus Tendon

CPT code 0718T designates an ultrasound-guided, unilateral injection of specially prepared autologous cells into the supraspinatus tendon of the rotator cuff. This procedure represents a biologic, regenerative approach to treating tendon pathology in the shoulder and is relevant nationally as interest in autologous cell therapies grows across outpatient settings.

Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. The publication summarizes coverage patterns and coding considerations that affect reimbursement and clinical documentation for this specific regenerative injection procedure.

Readers will learn the clinical context of the service, typical sites of service, and the primary operational considerations for billing CPT code 0718T. The report provides benchmarks where available, highlights relevant policy developments that influence payer handling, and outlines common billing and documentation issues clinics encounter when reporting an ultrasound-guided autologous cell injection into the supraspinatus tendon. Data not available in the input are noted where applicable.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareMedicare0718TCPTrotator-cuffsupraspinatusautologous-cell-therapyultrasound-guidedoutpatient-procedurebiologic-therapy

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 0718T describes an ultrasound-guided injection of specially prepared autologous cells into the supraspinatus tendon of the rotator cuff. The biologic material is derived from tissue previously harvested from the same patient and is injected to address tendon pathology in the shoulder.

Service type: Biologic/autologous cell injection procedure
Typical site of service: Outpatient procedure setting such as an ambulatory surgery center or outpatient clinic, performed on a unilateral shoulder (one side).

Data not available in the input.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 58-year-old ambulatory patient presents with chronic right lateral shoulder pain and weakness after months of conservative care for a partial-thickness tear of the supraspinatus tendon. Imaging with diagnostic ultrasound and prior MRI confirm a focal degenerative/partial-thickness supraspinatus tendon tear without full-thickness disruption. The interventional musculoskeletal physician discusses an image-guided biologic therapy using autologous, specially prepared cells derived from previously harvested tissue. On the day of service the patient is positioned seated or supine, the right shoulder is prepped and draped in a sterile fashion, and local anesthesia is administered. Under real-time ultrasound guidance, the provider advances a needle into the affected portion of the supraspinatus tendon and injects the prepared autologous cell suspension into the tendon substance. Post-procedure, the patient is observed briefly for immediate complications, given standardized post-procedure instructions for activity modification and physical therapy, and scheduled for follow-up imaging and clinical assessment.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`22`	Increased procedural services	When work required is substantially greater than typical for `0718T` (document rationale).

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207X00000X	Orthopaedic Surgery	Common specialty performing image-guided tendon interventions and biologic treatments.
207K00000X	Sports Medicine (Orthopedics)	Focus on tendon injuries and regenerative treatments in athletes and active adults.
2085P0200X	Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation	Physicians performing image-guided interventions for musculoskeletal pain and functional restoration.
2084P0800X	Pain Medicine	Interventional pain specialists using ultrasound-guided biologic or injection therapies.
363L00000X	Cell Processing Specialist (laboratory)	Laboratory personnel involved in preparation/processing of autologous cell products (if applicable).

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`M75.121`	Partial thickness tear of right rotator cuff tendon, not specified as traumatic	Common indication for tendon-targeted biologic injection into the right supraspinatus to promote healing and reduce pain.
`M75.122`	Partial thickness tear of left rotator cuff tendon, not specified as traumatic	Left-sided counterpart; included for completeness when bilateral evaluations occur.
`M75.1`	Rotator cuff tear or rupture, not specified as traumatic	General diagnosis grouping for rotator cuff tendon pathology treated with image-guided biologic injections.
`M75.100`	Unspecified rotator cuff tear or rupture of unspecified shoulder	Used when side or tear detail is not specified in documentation but rotator cuff pathology is the target.
`M75.11`	Complete rotator cuff tear or rupture of shoulder, not specified as traumatic	May be relevant when discussing rotator cuff pathology spectrum; complete tears are less commonly treated with isolated tendon injections.
`M75.81`	Other shoulder lesions, right shoulder	Used for non-specific degenerative or focal tendon lesions of the right shoulder amenable to targeted injection.
`M75.0`	Adhesive capsulitis of shoulder	Associated shoulder condition that may coexist and affect treatment planning for injection-based therapies.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`20610`	Arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection; major joint or bursa (e.g., shoulder)	Commonly used for diagnostic or therapeutic cortisone or viscosupplementation injections into the glenohumeral joint; may be performed before or instead of tendon-targeted biologic injections.
`76942`	Ultrasonic guidance for needle placement (eg, biopsy, aspiration, injection), imaging supervision and interpretation	Used to report ultrasound guidance for needle placement during `0718T` when imaging guidance is separately reported per payer policy.
`29826`	Arthroscopy, shoulder, surgical; decompression of subacromial space with partial acromioplasty, with or without coracoacromial ligament release	May be performed prior to or instead of biologic tendon augmentation in patients requiring formal surgical decompression.
`20611`	Arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection; major joint or bursa, with ultrasound guidance	If ultrasound guidance is billed specifically for intra-articular shoulder injections rather than tendon injections.
`99024`	Postoperative follow-up visit global period, related to surgical procedure	Used for global period postoperative visits if `0718T` is considered part of a surgical global period by payer policy.
`0525T`	Injection of platelet-rich plasma into tendon, ligament, muscle, or joint under imaging guidance	Other biologic injection codes that may be considered in the same clinical pathway; used for alternative regenerative injections depending on product and preparation.

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