Summary & Overview
CPT 25922: Wrist Disarticulation Stump Remodeling
CPT code 25922 covers surgical remodeling of the skin and muscle of a stump after disarticulation through the wrist, typically performed when initial closure is inadequate or when contracture causes pain. Nationally, this code is relevant for surgical, plastic, and rehabilitation services that manage post-amputation complications and wound contractures. It affects inpatient and outpatient surgical settings and has implications for procedural coding, post-operative care, and billing for complex limb-preserving or revision procedures.
Key payers in the national marketplace include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical intent and service context, the common sites of service, and the practical billing landscape involving this surgical revision code. The publication also outlines typical modifiers used with this procedure and notes where input data was not provided.
This summary equips clinicians, coding professionals, and policy analysts with the clinical framing and administrative context for 25922, helping stakeholders understand when the code applies, where the service is generally performed, and which major payers are commonly involved in coverage decisions. Data not available in the input is identified where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 25922 describes a surgical procedure to remodel the skin and muscle of a stump remaining after disarticulation through the wrist. This procedure is performed when an initial closure was improper or when the stump causes pain due to contracture of the wound.
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Service type: Surgical revision of wrist disarticulation stump (soft tissue remodeling)
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Typical site of service: Operating room or outpatient surgical center, depending on clinical complexity and anesthesia needs
Data not available in the input for payers, taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, and related codes.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is a 45-year-old manual laborer who previously underwent transcarpal (through the wrist) disarticulation for severe hand trauma. The initial closure healed with excessive scarring and soft-tissue contracture of the distal forearm stump, causing focal pain with prosthesis use and impaired socket fitting. The patient presents to the orthopedic/plastic surgery clinic for evaluation of stump pain, recurrent wound tightness, and poor prosthetic function.
Clinical workflow: The surgeon documents history of prior disarticulation and prior wound closure, performs focused physical exam noting adherent scar, decreased soft-tissue mobility, and painful neuroma or tethering. Conservative measures (prosthetic socket modification, physical therapy, scar management) are attempted. After informed consent, the patient is scheduled for operative stump revision under regional or general anesthesia. Intraoperatively the provider releases contracture bands, resects scar tissue, revises skin and muscle flaps to achieve a well-padded, tension-free stump contour, and addresses any symptomatic neuromas. Postoperative care includes wound checks, dressing changes, pain control, and coordination with prosthetics for refitting once healed.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
22 | Increased procedural services | Use when work required is substantially greater than typical for 25922 (extensive scar release, major additional procedures documented). |