CPT 27137 Reimbursement & Policy Benchmarks | OpenPayer

Summary & Overview

CPT 27137: Revision Hip Arthroplasty, Acetabular Component

CPT code 27137 denotes revision hip arthroplasty limited to removal and replacement of the acetabular component. This code is nationally relevant because hip revision procedures drive significant surgical resource use, specialty care coordination, and hospital and ambulatory surgery center utilization. Payers rely on accurate coding of component-specific revisions to align payments with scope of surgery and to track quality outcomes for joint reconstruction.

Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise review of the clinical context for acetabular-only revision, common service settings, and the implications for billing across major national payers. The publication also summarizes available benchmarks, typical coding considerations, and recent policy updates affecting coverage and site-of-service determinations where applicable.

The piece is intended for billing specialists, orthopedic surgeons, compliance officers, and payer relations staff seeking a clear, national-level overview of CPT code 27137, how it is used clinically, and what to expect on claims related to acetabular component revision procedures.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareMedicareCPT 27137hip revisionorthopedic surgeryarthroplastyacetabular revisionsurgical codinghospital outpatient

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 27137 describes a surgical procedure in which a previously implanted hip prosthesis is removed and the acetabular component (the socket portion of the hip joint) is replaced with a new prosthesis. The procedure may include the use of a graft but does not require replacement of the femoral component.

Service type: Revision arthroplasty of the hip (acetabular component revision)
Typical site of service: Hospital operating room or ambulatory surgical center for inpatient or outpatient orthopedic surgery

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A typical patient is a 68-year-old with a previously implanted total hip arthroplasty who presents with progressive groin and lateral hip pain, instability, or radiographic loosening of the acetabular component. Conservative measures (analgesics, physical therapy, activity modification) have failed, and imaging (plain radiographs, CT, or MRI when indicated) demonstrates acetabular component migration, osteolysis, or polyethylene wear isolated to the acetabular side. The orthopedic surgeon schedules a revision acetabular component exchange under general or regional anesthesia in an ambulatory surgical center or hospital operating room. The intraoperative workflow includes exposure of the hip, removal of the failed acetabular component, assessment and preparation of bone stock, possible use of bone graft or augments, implantation of a new acetabular component (with or without liner exchange), intraoperative fluoroscopy as needed, wound closure, and postoperative protocols for pain control and early mobilization. Typical perioperative documentation includes preoperative diagnosis, indication for revision, informed consent referencing acetabular component revision, implant details, graft use if any, intraoperative findings, and estimated blood loss. Postoperative follow-up documents wound status, neurovascular exam, and weight-bearing instructions.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`62`	Two surgeons	When two surgeons work together as primary surgeons on different essential portions of the procedure

CPT 27146: Pelvic Osteotomy — Iliac/Acetabular/Innominate Bone

CPT-27110-ILIOPSOAS-TRANSFER-GREATER-TROCHANTER

CPT 27110: Iliopsoas Transfer to Greater Trochanter

CPT-27134-REVISION-TOTAL-HIP-ARTHROPLASTY-BOTH-COMPONENTS

CPT 27134: Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty, Femoral and Acetabular Components

CPT-27156-PELVIC-AND-FEMORAL-OSTEOTOMY-HIP-REDUCTION

CPT 27156: Pelvic and Femoral Osteotomy with Hip Reduction

CPT-27140-GREATER-TROCHANTER-OSTEOTOMY-TRANSFER

CPT 27140: Greater Trochanter Osteotomy and Transfer

CPT-27105-PARASPINAL-MUSCLE-TRANSFER-TO-HIP-RECONSTRUCTIVE

CPT 27105: Paraspinal Muscle Transfer to Hip, Reconstructive Procedure

CPT-27147-PELVIC-OSTEOTOMY-WITH-HIP-REDUCTION

CPT 27147: Pelvic Osteotomy with Hip Reduction

CPT-27165-PROXIMAL-FEMUR-OSTEOTOMY-CORRECTIVE-ALIGNMENT

CPT 27165: Proximal Femoral Osteotomy for Alignment Correction

CPT-27176-PERCUTANEOUS-PINNING-SLIPPED-FEMORAL-EPIPHYSIS

CPT 27176: Percutaneous Pinning for Slipped Femoral Epiphysis

CPT-27179-FEMORAL-NECK-OSTEOTOMY-SLIPPED-EPIPHYSIS

CPT 27179: Femoral Neck Osteotomy for Slipped Femoral Epiphysis

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Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207X00000X	Orthopedic Surgery	Primary specialty performing hip revision arthroplasty
2086S0127X	Adult Reconstructive Orthopedics	Subspecialty focused on joint replacement and revision
2081S0123X	Orthopedic Surgery of the Lower Extremity	Focused expertise in hip and lower extremity procedures
2084P0800X	Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation	Often provides postoperative rehab and functional management
363L00000X	General Surgery (if applicable for multidisciplinary care)	Occasionally involved for complex wound or soft-tissue management

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`M16.11`	Unilateral primary osteoarthritis of right hip	Common indication for initial hip arthroplasty; may lead to wear and later acetabular revision
`M16.12`	Unilateral primary osteoarthritis of left hip	Same relevance for left-sided cases requiring acetabular revision
`T84.02XA`	Mechanical complication of internal joint prosthesis, initial encounter	Used when component loosening, dislocation, or mechanical failure of the acetabular prosthesis prompts revision
`M24.551`	Contracture, right hip	May complicate revision surgery or be addressed during revision due to loss of range of motion
`T84.041A`	Infection and inflammatory reaction due to internal right hip prosthesis, initial encounter	Periprosthetic infection can necessitate component removal and exchange; may require staged procedures

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`27130`	Arthroplasty, acetabular and proximal femoral prosthetic replacement (total hip arthroplasty)	Performed when both acetabular and femoral components are replaced rather than only the acetabular component; represents a more extensive index procedure
`27090`	Excision of heterotopic bone, hip region	May be performed before or during revision if heterotopic ossification limits exposure or component removal
`20680`	Removal of implant; deep (e.g., buried intramedullary)	Used when additional deep implant removal is required beyond the acetabular component removal described in `27137`
`27137`	Revision of total hip arthroplasty; acetabular component	The primary procedure: removal and replacement of only the acetabular component, with or without graft
`27310`	Arthrotomy, hip, with biopsy and/or drainage	May be performed if infection is suspected and synovial sampling or debridement is required prior to definitive revision
`27096`	Reconstruction, acetabulum, with bone grafting	Performed when structural bone grafting or major acetabular reconstruction is required in conjunction with component revision

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