Summary & Overview
CPT 24470: Elbow Growth Plate Arrest (Stapling/Plating)
CPT code 24470 denotes a surgical epiphyseal growth-arrest procedure at or near the elbow, using techniques such as stapling or plating to halt asymmetric or excessive growth. Nationally, this code is relevant to pediatric and adolescent orthopedic care where guided growth is employed to correct angular deformities, limb-length discrepancies, or other growth-related elbow conditions. Procedural coding and coverage affect surgical planning, site-of-service selection, and payer authorization processes across the country.
Key payers commonly involved in coverage decisions include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. The publication reviews payment benchmarks, common billing practice considerations, and clinical context for the procedure. Readers will find a concise clinical description, guidance on typical sites of service, and discussion of payer coverage patterns and coding considerations where available. The content is designed to inform coding professionals, surgical teams, and policy analysts about the role of 24470 in managing pediatric elbow growth disorders, common billing scenarios, and areas where authorization and documentation are typically scrutinized.
Data not available in the input is explicitly noted where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 24470 describes a surgical procedure in which the provider arrests growth by stapling, placing a plate, or using a similar technique across part of the epiphyseal (growth) area near the elbow. The procedure is performed to control or correct growth-related deformities of the distal humerus in pediatric or adolescent patients.
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Service type: Surgical growth plate (epiphysiodesis/hemiepiphysiodesis) procedure of the elbow
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Typical site of service: Operating room or ambulatory surgery center, under appropriate anesthesia
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A common scenario for 24470 is a pediatric patient, typically aged 8–14 years, presenting with progressive angular deformity of the distal humerus or asymmetric growth about the elbow causing cubitus varus or valgus. The child has documented growth remaining on imaging and clinical exam. Conservative measures (observation, activity modification) have failed or deformity is worsening; growth modulation via hemi-epiphysiodesis is planned to arrest growth on one side of the distal humeral physis. The clinical workflow includes preoperative assessment (history, physical exam, standing/oblique radiographs or long‑bone alignment films), informed consent, preoperative anesthetic evaluation (often general anesthesia with or without regional block), operative placement of a growth‑modulating implant such as a staple or tension band plate across the medial or lateral distal humeral physis, intraoperative fluoroscopic confirmation of implant position, postoperative radiographs, routine wound checks, and periodic clinic visits (every 3–6 months) until desired correction is achieved or skeletal maturity occurs. Typical site of service is an ambulatory surgical center or hospital outpatient operating room. Typical procedure length is brief; many patients are discharged same day with activity restrictions and follow‑up scheduled for radiographic monitoring and possible implant removal in the future when correction is achieved.
Coding Specifications
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