Summary & Overview
CPT 27332: Knee Arthrotomy with Meniscal Excision
CPT code 27332 represents an open surgical procedure—arthrotomy with excision of either the medial or lateral meniscus of the knee—performed to relieve pain and improve gait. This code captures removal of a damaged meniscal portion through an open approach rather than arthroscopic techniques and is relevant for hospitals and surgical practices that manage complex meniscal pathology or cases unsuitable for minimally invasive repair.
Key national payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise explanation of the clinical context for use of 27332, typical sites of service, and how this procedure fits into surgical care pathways for meniscal disease. The publication outlines billing and coding considerations at a high level, common modifiers provided in input (listed elsewhere), and where this code is used relative to other meniscal procedures.
This report is intended for a national audience and provides benchmarks and policy-relevant context for payer coverage and reimbursement patterns, clinical indications for open meniscal excision, and operational implications for hospital and surgical practice billing workflows. Data not available in the input are explicitly noted where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 27332 describes a surgical procedure involving arthrotomy with excision of either the medial or lateral meniscus of the knee. The procedure is performed to relieve pain and improve gait by removing a portion of a diseased or damaged meniscus.
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Service type: Surgical; open knee arthrotomy with meniscal excision
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Typical site of service: Hospital outpatient department or inpatient operating room
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 48-year-old active manual laborer presents with several months of progressive right knee pain, joint line tenderness on the medial side, mechanical catching with activity, and difficulty with ambulation and work duties. Conservative management including activity modification, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and a course of physical therapy produced limited relief. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrates a symptomatic torn medial meniscus with a displaced flap fragment. The orthopedic surgeon schedules an open arthrotomy with excision of the medial meniscus (meniscectomy) to relieve pain and improve gait.
The clinical workflow includes preoperative evaluation and informed consent, perioperative antibiotics and anesthesia (general or regional), surgical arthrotomy and excision of the diseased meniscal tissue, hemostasis, closure, and postoperative recovery with short-term weight-bearing as tolerated and outpatient physical therapy for rehabilitation. Typical documentation elements include operative report with laterality and approach, estimated blood loss, findings, and specimens removed, anesthesia record, and preoperative and postoperative diagnoses and orders.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
50 | Bilateral procedure | Use when bilateral meniscectomies are performed during the same operative session. |