Summary & Overview
CPT 25652: Open Treatment of Ulnar Styloid Fracture, Wrist
CPT code 25652 denotes an open surgical repair of an ulnar styloid fracture at the wrist, a procedure used to expose, reduce and stabilize the bony fragment—often with pins or wires—after trauma such as a fall onto an outstretched hand. This code matters nationally because wrist fractures are common and appropriate coding affects surgical claims, episode payments, and quality measurement tied to orthopaedic trauma care. Key payers in the national landscape include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare and Medicare.
Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context and typical sites of service, benchmark considerations for common payers, and guidance on what to expect in claims processing for an open ulnar styloid repair. The publication outlines how this procedure is classified for billing, common settings where it is performed (operating room or ambulatory surgical center), and factors that influence coding and payment such as fixation methods and surgical approach. Data not provided in the input (for example, payer-specific fee schedules or diagnosis crosswalks) is noted where applicable. This national summary is intended to orient clinicians, coders and policy analysts to the key operational and billing aspects of CPT code 25652.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 25652 describes an open treatment of an ulnar styloid fracture at the wrist. The procedure involves a surgical incision at the wrist to expose the ulnar styloid and reduce the fracture; the surgeon may insert pins or wires to stabilize the bone while it heals. This code reflects a repair procedure for a wrist-area fracture commonly caused by bracing a fall with an outstretched hand.
Service Type: Open surgical fracture treatment (wrist/ulnar styloid repair)
Typical Site of Service: Operating room or ambulatory surgical center, with the anatomic site at the wrist
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is a 45-year-old who presents to the emergency department after a fall onto an outstretched hand with acute wrist pain, swelling, and point tenderness at the ulnar side of the wrist. Diagnostic wrist radiographs or CT confirm an ulnar styloid fracture with displacement or instability of the distal radioulnar joint. After initial closed reduction attempts and immobilization, the orthopedic or hand surgery team schedules an open reduction and internal fixation of the ulnar styloid.
Preoperative workflow includes history and physical, informed consent specific to open fixation and possible hardware placement, preoperative imaging review, and anesthesia evaluation (general or regional block). Intraoperative steps: a sterile dorsal or ulnar wrist incision, identification and exposure of the ulnar styloid fragment, reduction of the fragment, and fixation typically with Kirschner wires, small screws, or tension band constructs as indicated. Fluoroscopy is frequently used intraoperatively to confirm reduction and hardware position. Postoperative workflow includes pain control, sterile dressing and splinting, neurovascular checks, postoperative radiographs, discharge with immobilization, and outpatient follow-up for wound check and staged hardware or pin removal when indicated.
Typical site of service is an ambulatory surgery center or hospital operating room. The service type is an open wrist fracture repair (open reduction and internal fixation) of the ulnar styloid.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
LT / |