Summary & Overview
CPT 0814T: Percutaneous Calcium-Based Bone Graft Injection, Proximal Femur
CPT code 0814T describes a percutaneous, image-guided injection of a calcium-based, resorbable bone graft substitute into the proximal femur (upper thigh bone) on one side of the body. This minimally invasive procedure promotes bone formation and is relevant for treating focal bone defects or augmentation needs in the femoral region. Nationally, the code matters as imaging-guided biologic augmentation procedures expand and payers evaluate coverage and payment for emerging bone-substitute therapies.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of the clinical service, typical sites of care, common billing modifiers, and where to look for coding and coverage variations across major payers. The publication also summarizes relevant benchmarks and policy considerations affecting reimbursement for percutaneous bone graft substitute injections, outlines coding nuances tied to laterality and imaging guidance, and highlights clinical context for utilization.
This national-level briefing is intended to inform billing staff, revenue cycle managers, and policy analysts about the code’s clinical intent, expected settings of service, and the landscape of payer engagement for image-guided bone graft substitute procedures.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 0814T describes a percutaneous injection of a calcium-based, resorbable bone graft substitute into the proximal femur (upper thigh bone) using image guidance. The injected material is designed to resorb naturally and promote bone growth at the treatment site. The procedure is performed through the skin and targets a single side of the body.
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Service type: Image-guided percutaneous bone graft substitute injection
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Typical site of service: Hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgical center; procedure is performed at the proximal femur via percutaneous access
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 72-year-old ambulatory patient with osteoporotic insufficiency fracture of the proximal femur presents with persistent pain and limited weight-bearing despite conservative care. Imaging (X-ray and CT) demonstrates a nondisplaced insufficiency fracture of the femoral neck or intertrochanteric region with evidence of bone loss. The orthopedic or interventional musculoskeletal specialist performs a percutaneous, image-guided injection of a resorbable calcium-based bone void filler into the proximal femur (one side) to augment structural support and promote bone healing. The procedure is performed in an outpatient ambulatory surgical center or hospital interventional radiology suite under fluoroscopic or CT guidance with local anesthesia and conscious sedation as needed. Pre-procedure steps include informed consent, review of relevant labs (coagulation), and cross-sectional imaging; intra-procedure steps include sterile setup, localization with imaging, percutaneous trocar placement into the femoral metaphysis, injection of the calcium-based material under continuous imaging, and hemostasis; post-procedure steps include recovery monitoring, neurovascular check, post-procedure imaging to document placement, and discharge instructions for restricted weight-bearing and follow-up clinic visit within 2–6 weeks.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
22 | Increased procedural services | Use when the work, time, or technical difficulty substantially exceeds typical requirements for this procedure. |
50 | Bilateral procedure | Use only if the same procedure is performed on both femurs during the same session (not typical for 0814T which describes one side). |
51 | Multiple procedures | Use when additional distinct procedures are reported on the same day in addition to this injection. |
52 | Reduced services | Use when the service is partially reduced or not completed as originally planned. |
53 | Discontinued procedure | Use when the procedure was started but terminated due to extenuating circumstances or patient condition. |
62 | Two surgeons | Use when two surgeons of different specialties are required and both actively participate. |
66 | Surgical team | Use when a surgical team (e.g., with an assisting surgeon) is required and designated by payer policy. |
73 | Discontinued outpatient before anesthesia | Use when procedure cancelled after patient taken to procedure area but prior to administration of anesthesia. |
78 | Unplanned return to the operating/procedure room by the same physician following initial procedure for a related procedure during the postoperative period | Use if a related repeat intervention is required urgently within the global period. |
80 | Assistant surgeon | Use when a physician assistant or surgical assistant provides active assistance and payer accepts the modifier for assistant services. |
LT | Left side | Use to indicate the procedure was performed on the left femur. |
QK | Medical direction of two, three, or four concurrent anesthesia procedures involving qualified individuals | Use when anesthesia medical direction meets criteria and is billed for anesthesia services. |
QX | CRNA service: CRNA with medical direction by a physician | Use when a certified registered nurse anesthetist provides anesthesia with physician medical direction. |
QY | Medical direction of one CRNA by an anesthesiologist | Use when an anesthesiologist directly medically directs a single CRNA during the procedure. |
| Taxonomy Code | Specialty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 207X00000X | Orthopedic Surgery | Primary specialty performing femoral augmentation procedures for fracture support. |
| 2084P0800X | Interventional Radiology | Performs percutaneous, image-guided injections and cement/biomaterial placement. |
| 2086S0105X | Pain Medicine | May perform image-guided bone augmentation procedures in select practices. |
| 208000000X | General Surgery | Occasionally involved when surgical management overlaps; less common for percutaneous injections. |
| 363L00000X | Anesthesiology | Provides monitored anesthesia care or sedation for the procedure. |
Related Diagnoses
| ICD-10 Code | Description | Clinical Relevance |
|---|---|---|
M84.451A | Pathological fracture, right femur, initial encounter for fracture | Osteoporotic/pathologic femoral fractures are primary indications for proximal femoral augmentation. |
M84.452A | Pathological fracture, left femur, initial encounter for fracture | Same relevance when the left femur is affected. |
M84.459A | Pathological fracture, femur, unspecified site, initial encounter for fracture | Used when exact femoral site not specified but pathology warrants augmentation. |
M80.061A | Age-related osteoporosis with current pathological fracture, right femur, initial encounter for fracture | Describes osteoporosis with acute fracture necessitating structural support. |
M80.062A | Age-related osteoporosis with current pathological fracture, left femur, initial encounter for fracture | Left-sided equivalent for coding laterality. |
S72.001A | Fracture of unspecified part of neck of femur, right, initial encounter for closed fracture | Traumatic or insufficiency femoral neck fractures that may be managed with augmentation in select cases. |
S72.002A | Fracture of unspecified part of neck of femur, left, initial encounter for closed fracture | Left-sided counterpart for laterality reporting. |
Related CPT Codes
| CPT Code | Description | Relationship to This Procedure |
|---|---|---|
77012 | CT guidance for needle placement (eg, biopsy, aspiration, injection, localization device), radiologic supervision and interpretation | May be billed when CT imaging is used to guide trocar placement and material injection for 0814T. |
77002 | Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement (eg, vascular, osseous), radiological supervision and interpretation | Used when fluoroscopic guidance directs the percutaneous injection procedure. |
20610 | Arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection, major joint or bursa (eg, shoulder, hip, knee, subacromial bursa); without ultrasound guidance | May be used if a separate joint injection is performed in the same encounter (distinct from the bone injection). |
20926 | Tissue grafts, other (eg, paraspinous, muscles, fascia), includes obtaining graft when performed, open; each additional graft | May be used when additional bone grafting procedures are performed surgically in conjunction with percutaneous augmentation (less common). |
99024 | Postoperative follow-up visit, included in global service, postoperative visit | Used to report subsequent postoperative visits if payer requires separate reporting (many payers include follow-up in global period). |