CPT 27252: Closed Reduction of Traumatic Hip Dislocation under General Anesthesia - OpenPayer

Summary & Overview

CPT 27252: Closed Reduction of Traumatic Hip Dislocation under General Anesthesia

CPT code 27252 denotes the closed reduction of a traumatic hip joint dislocation performed under general anesthesia. This emergent orthopedic procedure is critical for restoring joint alignment, relieving pain, and reducing the risk of complications such as avascular necrosis or neurovascular injury. Nationally, timely and appropriate use of this code affects hospital billing, anesthesia services, and emergency surgical workflows.

Key payers in this overview include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise briefing on clinical context and service setting for 27252, plus the types of benchmarks and policy elements typically examined for this code: reimbursement considerations across payers, site-of-service implications, and documentation standards tied to anesthesia and closed reduction procedures. The publication highlights common billing modifiers and payer coverage patterns relevant to emergency orthopedic reductions, and it outlines where clinicians and billing teams should focus documentation to support medical necessity.

This national summary provides clinicians, coding professionals, and payers with the operational context for CPT code 27252, clarifying the procedure definition, typical care setting, and the themes that influence payer coverage and coding validation.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareMedicare27252CPTOrthopedicsHip dislocationClosed reductionAnesthesiaEmergency surgeryHospital services

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 27252 describes a closed treatment of a traumatic hip joint dislocation performed under general anesthesia. The procedure involves the nonopen (closed) realignment of the hip joint after an acute traumatic dislocation.

Service type: Surgical procedure — closed reduction of a dislocated joint under general anesthesia
Typical site of service: Hospital operating room or emergency department procedural suite where general anesthesia is provided

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 28-year-old male motorcyclist presents to the emergency department after a high-speed collision with severe left hip pain, inability to move the left lower extremity, and an apparent limb deformity. Initial assessment includes airway, breathing, circulation stabilization, focused musculoskeletal and neurovascular exam of the left lower extremity, and pelvic and hip radiographs that confirm a traumatic posterior dislocation of the left hip joint without obvious associated femoral head or acetabular fracture. The orthopedic team is consulted emergently. Under general anesthesia in the operating room, the orthopedic surgeon performs a closed reduction of the dislocated hip using controlled traction and manipulation techniques. Post-reduction radiographs confirm concentric reduction; the patient is monitored for neurovascular status and admitted for observation and pain control. If there is concern for associated fracture or instability, CT of the pelvis and hip is obtained and the plan is adjusted accordingly.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`23`	Unusual anesthesia	Use when procedure is performed under general anesthesia for an emergency or when anesthesia is medically necessary beyond usual local/regional methods.
`50`

CPT 27268: Closed Reduction of Femoral Neck/Head Fracture

cpt-27253-open-treatment-hip-joint-dislocation-no-fixation

CPT 27253: Open Treatment of Hip Joint Dislocation, No Internal Fixation

cpt-27265-prosthetic-hip-closed-reduction-without-anesthesia

CPT 27265: Closed Reduction of Dislocated Prosthetic Hip Without Anesthesia

cpt-27257-closed-treatment-developmental-hip-dislocation

CPT 27257: Closed Treatment of Developmental Hip Dislocation

cpt-27240-closed-treatment-femoral-fracture-trochanteric-region

CPT 27240: Closed Treatment of Femoral Fracture Near Trochanters

cpt-27215-iliac-spine-tuberosity-avulsion-iliac-wing-fixation

CPT 27215: Open Fixation of Iliac Spine/Tuberosity/Iliac Wing Fracture

cpt-27227-open-fixation-acetabular-fracture

CPT 27227: Open Fixation of Acetabular Fracture

cpt-27230-closed-treatment-femoral-neck-fracture

CPT 27230: Closed Treatment of Femoral Neck Fracture

cpt-27220-closed-treatment-acetabular-fracture

CPT 27220: Closed Treatment of Acetabular (Hip Socket) Fracture

cpt-27266-closed-reduction-prosthetic-hip-dislocation

CPT 27266: Closed Reduction of Dislocated Prosthetic Hip

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Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`S73.001A`	Traumatic dislocation of unspecified hip, initial encounter	Common code to report traumatic hip dislocation presenting for initial treatment and reduction.
`S73.002A`	Traumatic dislocation of right hip, initial encounter	Use when the right hip is dislocated and closed reduction is performed.
`S73.003A`	Traumatic dislocation of left hip, initial encounter	Use when the left hip is dislocated and closed reduction is performed.
`S73.011A`	Traumatic posterior dislocation of unspecified hip, initial encounter	Specifies posterior dislocation, the most common direction in high-energy trauma, guiding urgent reduction.
`S73.012A`	Traumatic posterior dislocation of right hip, initial encounter	Right-sided posterior dislocation; used for laterality specificity.
`S73.013A`	Traumatic posterior dislocation of left hip, initial encounter	Left-sided posterior dislocation; used for laterality specificity and commonly associated with dashboard injuries.
`S32.401A`	Unspecified fracture of the acetabulum, initial encounter for closed fracture	Relevant when an acetabular fracture is identified concurrently and may alter management from closed to open treatment.
`S72.001A`	Fracture of head of femur, unspecified femur, initial encounter for closed fracture	Relevant when femoral head fracture is present with the dislocation, impacting reduction and fixation decisions.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`27096`	Closed treatment of posterior or anterior dislocation of the pelvis; without anesthesia	Not directly used when general anesthesia is present; alternative code set historically related to pelvic dislocations.
`27220`	Closed treatment of iliac, ischial or pubic rami fractures; without manipulation	Performed if associated pelvic rami fractures are identified and managed nonoperatively during the same episode.
`27236`	Open treatment of complex pelvic/acetabular fracture, includes internal fixation	Performed if closed reduction is unsuccessful or if associated acetabular fracture requires open fixation following reduction.
`11042`	Debridement; skin, subcutaneous tissue	May be used if concurrent debridement of open soft-tissue injury is required at presentation.
`99024`	Postoperative follow-up visit included in global service	Represents routine postoperative follow-up visits related to the global surgical package after the closed reduction.

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