Summary & Overview
CPT 25301: Anchoring Extensor Tendons to Wrist Bone
CPT code 25301 covers surgical anchoring of the extensor tendons of the fingers to bone in the wrist to restore normal hand motion. This procedure is clinically important for patients with tendon avulsion, severe tendon laceration, or chronic dysfunction that impairs finger extension. Nationally, surgical tendon-anchoring procedures affect hand function, rehabilitation timelines, and downstream utilization of therapy and follow-up surgical care.
Key payers discussed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise policy and billing overview, typical sites of service and clinical context, and operational considerations relevant to payers and providers. The publication summarizes common modifiers and claims considerations where available, highlights typical clinical indications and service settings, and outlines what to expect in terms of coding classification and related surgical service lines.
This analysis is intended for a national audience of billing managers, surgical providers, and payer policy teams. It presents benchmarks and coding context for reimbursement and claims processing, explains clinical rationale for the procedure, and identifies areas where further documentation or coding specificity may affect claim adjudication. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 25301 describes a surgical procedure in which the provider anchors extensor tendons of the fingers to bone in the wrist to restore normal motion to the hand. This procedure is performed to reestablish tendon attachment and improve finger extension when native tendon attachments are disrupted or nonfunctional.
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Service type: Surgical tendon repair / tendon transfer
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Typical site of service: Operating room or ambulatory surgery center, with perioperative care provided in a hospital or surgical facility
Data not available in the input.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 52-year-old right-hand-dominant patient presents with progressive weakness and loss of active finger extension after a distal radius fracture that healed with malunion and disrupted extensor tendon attachments. The hand surgeon evaluates the patient in the outpatient orthopedic clinic, documents failed tendon gliding and loss of finger extension, and schedules operative reconstruction. In the operating room under regional block or general anesthesia, the provider performs extensor tendon anchoring to the dorsal wrist bone to re-establish tendon tension and restore active extension of the fingers. Typical perioperative workflow includes preoperative imaging and exam, informed consent documenting functional impairment and surgical goals, intraoperative tendon identification and reattachment to bone using suture anchors or bone tunnels, and standard postoperative immobilization with a plan for hand therapy and staged rehabilitation.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use when only the professional (surgeon) component is billed separate from technical facility services in settings that permit split billing. |
50 | Bilateral procedure |