Summary & Overview
CPT 27507: Open Fixation of Femoral Shaft Fracture with Plate and Screws
Headline: CPT 27507: Open Fixation of Femoral Shaft Fracture with Plate and Screws
Lead: CPT 27507 denotes the open surgical repair of femoral shaft fractures using plate-and-screw fixation, an essential orthopaedic procedure for restoring limb alignment and stability after traumatic or pathological fractures. This code is relevant across inpatient surgical practices and hospital billing workflows nationwide.
What the code represents and why it matters: The code identifies open plate-and-screw fixation of the femoral shaft—an important alternative to intramedullary fixation in specific fracture patterns or clinical scenarios. Precise coding supports appropriate facility and professional billing, case mix documentation, and quality measurement for orthopaedic trauma services.
Key payers covered: This summary addresses major national payers including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare.
What readers will learn: The publication provides a concise clinical and billing profile of CPT 27507, outlines common coding adjacencies and related procedure distinctions, and highlights areas frequently relevant to reimbursement and utilization review such as site of service and operative setting. It also situates the code among related femoral fracture procedures to clarify selection criteria and claims grouping in hospital and orthopaedic surgery service lines.
Scope and limitations: Service-line specifics beyond the provided metadata are noted as missing where applicable. Data not available in the input will be identified within detailed sections.
CPT Code Overview
CPT 27507 describes the open surgical treatment of a femoral shaft fracture using plate and screws, with or without cerclage. This procedure falls under Orthopaedic Surgery and is typically performed in an inpatient hospital operating room or procedure room. The code captures cases where internal fixation with plates and screws is used to stabilize femoral shaft fractures via an open approach.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is an adult admitted to the inpatient hospital following high-energy trauma (for example, a motor vehicle collision or fall from height) with an acute femoral shaft fracture. The patient presents with severe thigh pain, deformity, and inability to bear weight. Imaging (plain radiographs and often CT) confirms a displaced femoral shaft fracture or fracture pattern requiring open reduction and internal fixation.
Preoperative workflow includes emergency department evaluation, neurovascular assessment of the limb, pain control, and templating for fixation. The patient is taken to the operating room where an orthopaedic surgeon performs open reduction of the femoral shaft fracture and internal fixation using a plate and screws, with cerclage wires if needed. Postoperative care typically occurs in the inpatient setting with pain management, thromboprophylaxis, neurovascular checks, and initiation of physical therapy as appropriate.
Coding Specifications
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Modifier
51(Multiple Procedures): Used when multiple, distinct surgical procedures are performed during the same operative session. Apply when27507is one of several procedures and payer guidelines require reporting of the additional procedure(s) with modifier51. -
Modifier
59(Distinct Procedural Service): Used to indicate a procedure or service that is distinct or independent from other services performed on the same day. Apply when27507represents a separate service from another procedure on the same date that might otherwise be bundled.