Find policies, billing codes, payers, states, and providers

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.

Customize your policy alerts

Sign up for cpt 0718T policy alerts

Get alerted when payer policies referencing 0718T are released or updated.

Monitor payer policy activity

Receive email alerts as soon as relevant payer policies are published or updated.

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.

Find policies, billing codes, payers, states, and providers

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

Customize your policy alerts

Sign up for cpt 0718T policy alerts

Get alerted when payer policies referencing 0718T are released or updated.

Monitor payer policy activity

Receive email alerts as soon as relevant payer policies are published or updated.

Billing Code Overview

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).
`23`	Unusual anesthesia	When medically necessary anesthesia is used for an otherwise normally non-anesthetized procedure.
`50`	Bilateral procedure	If the identical procedure is performed on both shoulders in the same operative session (note: `0718T` described as unilateral; use only if bilateral performed).
`51`	Multiple procedures	When `0718T` is billed with other distinct procedures during the same encounter (follow payer rules).
`52`	Reduced services	If the procedure is partially reduced or not completed as planned.
`53`	Discontinued procedure	When `0718T` is started but discontinued due to extenuating circumstances.
`62`	Two surgeons	When two surgeons work together as primary surgeons performing distinct portions of the procedure.
`66`	Surgical team	When a surgical team approach is required for the service.
`73`	Discontinued outpatient procedure prior to anesthesia	When the outpatient `0718T` is discontinued before anesthesia is administered.
`78`	Unplanned return to the OR	For a return to the operating room for a related procedure during the global period.
`80`	Assistant surgeon	When an assistant surgeon provides assistance during the procedure.
`81`	Minimum assistant surgeon	When a minimum assistant is used per payer requirements.
`82`	Assistant surgeon (when qualified resident not available)	When a qualified resident is not available and an assistant is required.

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).

Related Diagnoses

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.

CPT 0717T: Adipose-Derived Cell Harvest and Preparation for Rotator Cuff Injection

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

Trek Health ingests and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data and payer policy updates to give provider organizations a clear view of how commercial reimbursement behaves across markets, payers, and services. Our platform transforms raw payer disclosures into structured intelligence that supports contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and service line strategy. By combining market benchmarks with ongoing policy visibility, Trek helps teams identify variability, risk, and opportunity in commercial reimbursement. The result is faster insight, stronger negotiating positions, and more informed financial decisions.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`22`	Increased procedural services	When work required is substantially greater than typical for `0718T` (document rationale).
`23`	Unusual anesthesia	When medically necessary anesthesia is used for an otherwise normally non-anesthetized procedure.
`50`	Bilateral procedure	If the identical procedure is performed on both shoulders in the same operative session (note: `0718T` described as unilateral; use only if bilateral performed).
`51`	Multiple procedures	When `0718T` is billed with other distinct procedures during the same encounter (follow payer rules).
`52`	Reduced services	If the procedure is partially reduced or not completed as planned.
`53`	Discontinued procedure	When `0718T` is started but discontinued due to extenuating circumstances.
`62`	Two surgeons	When two surgeons work together as primary surgeons performing distinct portions of the procedure.
`66`	Surgical team	When a surgical team approach is required for the service.
`73`	Discontinued outpatient procedure prior to anesthesia	When the outpatient `0718T` is discontinued before anesthesia is administered.
`78`	Unplanned return to the OR	For a return to the operating room for a related procedure during the global period.
`80`	Assistant surgeon	When an assistant surgeon provides assistance during the procedure.
`81`	Minimum assistant surgeon	When a minimum assistant is used per payer requirements.
`82`	Assistant surgeon (when qualified resident not available)	When a qualified resident is not available and an assistant is required.

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).

Related Diagnoses

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.

CPT 0717T: Adipose-Derived Cell Harvest and Preparation for Rotator Cuff Injection

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

OpenPayer

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

Sign up for cpt 0718T policy alerts

Billing Code Overview

Catch payer policy changes before they impact reimbursement

Catch payer policy changes before they impact reimbursement

OpenPayer

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

Sign up for cpt 0718T policy alerts

Billing Code Overview

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

References