Summary & Overview
CPT 24930: Humeral Stump Revision for Amputation
CPT code 24930 represents surgical revision of an already amputated humerus to remove additional bone length when the residual limb is nonhealing or incompatible with prosthetic fitting. This procedure is clinically important for optimizing residual limb health, reducing pain or infection risk, and improving the prospects for prosthesis use. Nationally, proper coding and clinical documentation for stump revisions affect postoperative outcomes, care coordination between surgical and prosthetic teams, and payment determinations across public and commercial payers. Key payers discussed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise explanation of the code’s clinical intent and typical sites of service, an overview of common modifiers used in billing scenarios, and context for how this procedure fits into surgical and rehabilitative care pathways. The publication provides benchmarks and comparisons where available, highlights relevant policy considerations affecting coverage and prior authorization for stump revisions, and summarizes clinical factors that commonly drive utilization. Data elements not provided in the input are noted as unavailable; the focus remains on national applicability rather than state-specific policy.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 24930 describes a surgical procedure to remove additional length from an already amputated humerus when the residual limb is nonhealing or unsuitable to fit a prosthesis. The service focuses on revision or resection of the humeral stump to improve healing potential or prepare the limb for prosthetic fitting.
-
Service type: Surgical stump revision / humeral stump resection
-
Typical site of service: Hospital operating room or ambulatory surgical center
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 58-year-old male with a prior above-elbow amputation of the right humerus presents with persistent pain, nonhealing bone at the residual limb, and poor prosthetic fit. The patient reports recurrent pressure ulcers at the distal stump and inability to tolerate the current socket despite multiple prosthetist adjustments. Imaging demonstrates distal osteomyelitis and irregular humeral bone ends with sharp spicules. The surgical team schedules a revision amputation to shorten the residual humerus to a level suitable for prosthetic fitting and to remove necrotic bone tissue.
The clinical workflow includes preoperative evaluation (history, physical, labs, and radiographs), informed consent, perioperative antibiotic planning, operative shortening of the humeral stump (24930) under general or regional anesthesia, intraoperative cultures if infection suspected, stump soft-tissue management, and postoperative wound care with prosthetic rehabilitation planning. Typical site of service is an inpatient or ambulatory hospital operating room depending on comorbidities and complexity. Typical providers include orthopedic surgeons or plastic/reconstructive surgeons with amputation and limb-preservation experience.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
22 | Increased procedural services | Use when work or complexity substantially greater than usual for (extensive debridement, prolonged operative time). |