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CPT 27511: Supracondylar Femur Fracture Open Reduction with Fixation

CPT code 27511 represents an open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) procedure for supracondylar fractures of the femur that do not involve the intercondylar region. This code captures a common orthopedic surgical approach to realign and stabilize distal femur fractures using screws, pins, or wires. Nationally, accurate coding for fracture fixation is important for surgical quality reporting, resource planning, and appropriate payment for operative musculoskeletal care.

Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise clinical context for the procedure, typical sites of service, common billing considerations, and an overview of what to expect in payer coverage patterns and billing benchmarks where available. The publication outlines common modifiers used with this procedure and highlights areas where coding specificity matters for correct claim processing.

The report is designed for billing managers, orthopedic surgeons, and policy analysts seeking a clear reference for CPT code 27511, including clinical intent of the code, procedural setting, and the practical billing metadata necessary for claims and administrative workflows. Data not available in the input is noted where relevant.

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Billing Code Overview

CPT code 27511 describes an open reduction and internal fixation procedure for a supracondylar femur fracture that does not extend into the intercondylar region. The procedure involves surgically exposing the fracture and using screws, pins, or wires to realign and stabilize the distal femur to promote proper healing.

Service type: Surgical orthopedic procedure — open reduction with internal fixation
Typical site of service: Hospital operating room or ambulatory surgery center

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CPT 27511: Supracondylar Femur Fracture Open Reduction with Fixation

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Billing Code Overview

Service type: Surgical orthopedic procedure — open reduction with internal fixation
Typical site of service: Hospital operating room or ambulatory surgery center

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 42-year-old male presents to the emergency department after a high-energy fall from a ladder with severe left distal femur pain, swelling, and deformity above the knee. Radiographs and CT confirm a supracondylar femur fracture that does not extend into the intercondylar region. The orthopedic trauma team evaluates the patient, obtains informed consent, and schedules urgent operative management. Preoperative workup includes neurovascular exam, templated imaging, and medical clearance. In the operating room under general anesthesia, the surgeon performs an open reduction of the supracondylar distal femur fracture and stabilizes the bone fragments using screws and percutaneous pins as needed, ensuring anatomic alignment and stable fixation. Postoperative care includes pain control, deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis, repeat radiographs, and physical therapy planning with weight-bearing status specified. Typical site of service is inpatient hospital operating room or ambulatory surgical center for non-multi-system trauma, depending on patient condition and comorbidities. The service type is surgical fracture repair (open reduction and internal fixation) of the distal femur (supracondylar region).

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`26`	Professional component	Use when billing only the surgeon’s professional component separate from hospital/ASC facility charges.
`50`	Bilateral procedure	Use when identical procedure is performed on both femurs during the same operative session.
`51`	Multiple procedures	Use when additional distinct procedures are performed at the same operative session in addition to `27511`.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the procedure is partially reduced or not completed as planned (e.g., aborted due to patient instability).
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the procedure is started but discontinued for extenuating circumstances or patient safety.
`54`	Surgical care only	Use when billing only the surgeon’s operative portion and another provider bills pre/postoperative care.
`55`	Postoperative management only	Use when billing only the postoperative management (surgeon not performing the operation).
`62`	Two surgeons	Use when two surgeons (co-surgeons) of different specialties perform distinct portions of the operation requiring their individual skills.
`79`	Unrelated procedure/service by same physician during postoperative period	Use when an unrelated procedure is performed during the global period for a separate condition.
`78`	Unplanned return to the OR by same physician following initial procedure for a related procedure during the global period	Use for unplanned reoperation related to the initial `27511` within the global period.
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when the procedure requires substantially greater work than typical (extensive dissection, prolonged operative time).
`58`	Staged or related procedure during postoperative period	Use when a planned staged procedure is performed during the global period as part of definitive management.
`76`	Repeat procedure by same physician	Use if the same procedure is repeated later the same day by the same surgeon.
`RT` / `LT`	Right side / Left side	Use to indicate laterality when the EHR/billing system requires explicit laterality modifiers; use `RT` for right femur, `LT` for left femur.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207L00000X	Orthopaedic Surgery	Primary specialty performing open reduction and internal fixation of femoral fractures.
2080P0206X	Orthopedic Trauma Surgery	Subspecialty focus on complex fractures and perioperative trauma care.
207R00000X	Surgery: General	General surgeons occasionally involved in polytrauma settings or when orthopedic coverage unavailable.
208000000X	Emergency Medicine	Initial diagnosis and stabilization in the ED prior to definitive operative care.
261QM0800X	Anesthesiology	Provides general or regional anesthesia for operative fixation procedures.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`S72.441A`	Displaced supracondylar fracture of left femur, initial encounter for closed fracture	Typical presenting diagnosis for left supracondylar femur fracture treated with open reduction and internal fixation.
`S72.442A`	Displaced supracondylar fracture of right femur, initial encounter for closed fracture	Typical presenting diagnosis for right supracondylar femur fracture treated with open reduction and internal fixation.
`S72.451A`	Unspecified supracondylar fracture of left femur, initial encounter for closed fracture	Used when displacement is not specified but surgical fixation is performed.
`S72.452A`	Unspecified supracondylar fracture of right femur, initial encounter for closed fracture	As above for the right side.
`S72.431A`	Distal femoral fracture involving medial condyle, left, initial encounter for closed fracture	Included when fracture approaches but does not extend into intercondylar area or condylar involvement suspected.
`S72.430A`	Distal femoral fracture involving unspecified condyle, initial encounter for closed fracture	Used for distal femoral fractures near the supracondylar region when laterality or specific condyle not specified.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`27511`	Open treatment of supracondylar fracture of femur; with internal fixation using screws, pins, or wires (fracture does not extend into intercondylar area)	Primary procedure for open reduction and internal fixation of supracondylar distal femur fractures.
`27447`	Arthroplasty, knee, condyle and plateau; medial OR lateral compartment	May be relevant for older patients with severe articular involvement where fixation is not appropriate; alternative reconstruction.
`27520`	Open treatment of distal femoral fracture, with or without internal or external fixation, proximal to the condyles	Used for more proximal distal femoral fractures or when fracture pattern extends beyond supracondylar region.
`20690`	Aspiration and/or injection of joint or bursa; without ultrasound guidance	Sometimes performed postoperatively for joint effusion management; ancillary service in postoperative course.
`20680`	Removal of implanted hardware, deep (requiring incision and dissection)	May be performed at a later date if hardware removal is indicated after fracture healing.
`73630`	Radiologic examination, lower extremity, femur; 1 view	Preoperative and postoperative radiographs are performed to document fracture and fixation alignment.

CPT 27500: Femoral Shaft Fracture Reduction

CPT-27501-CLOSED-REDUCTION-SUPRACONDYLAR-FEMUR-FRACTURE

CPT 27501: Closed Reduction of Supracondylar Femur Fracture

CPT-27502-CLOSED-REDUCTION-FEMORAL-SHAFT-FRACTURE-MANIPULATION

CPT 27502: Closed Reduction of Femoral Shaft Fracture

CPT-27503-CLOSED-REDUCTION-SUPRACONDYLAR-FEMUR-FRACTURE

CPT 27503: Closed Reduction of Supracondylar Femur Fracture

CPT-27506-OPEN-REDUCTION-FEMORAL-SHAFT-INTRAMEDULLARY-FIXATION

CPT 27506: Open Reduction of Femoral Shaft Fracture with Intramedullary Fixation

CPT-27507-OPEN-REDUCTION-FEMORAL-SHAFT-PLATE-SCREW-FIXATION

CPT 27507: Open Reduction, Femoral Shaft Fracture with Plate or Screw Fixation

CPT-27508-CLOSED-REDUCTION-DISTAL-FEMUR-CONDYLAR-FRACTURE

CPT 27508: Closed Reduction of Distal Femur Condylar Fracture

CPT-27509-PERCUTANEOUS-FEMORAL-CONDYLAR-FRACTURE-FIXATION

CPT 27509: Percutaneous Fixation of Femoral Condylar Fracture

CPT-27510-CLOSED-REDUCTION-DISTAL-FEMUR-CONDYLAR-FRACTURE

CPT 27510: Closed Reduction of Distal Femur Condylar Fracture

CPT-27513-DISTAL-FEMUR-INTERCONDYLAR-FRACTURE-OPEN-REDUCTION

CPT 27513: Open Reduction, Distal Femur Intercondylar Fracture

Showing 1–10 of 30

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

Trek Health ingests and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data and payer policy updates to give provider organizations a clear view of how commercial reimbursement behaves across markets, payers, and services. Our platform transforms raw payer disclosures into structured intelligence that supports contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and service line strategy. By combining market benchmarks with ongoing policy visibility, Trek helps teams identify variability, risk, and opportunity in commercial reimbursement. The result is faster insight, stronger negotiating positions, and more informed financial decisions.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`26`	Professional component	Use when billing only the surgeon’s professional component separate from hospital/ASC facility charges.
`50`	Bilateral procedure	Use when identical procedure is performed on both femurs during the same operative session.
`51`	Multiple procedures	Use when additional distinct procedures are performed at the same operative session in addition to `27511`.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the procedure is partially reduced or not completed as planned (e.g., aborted due to patient instability).
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the procedure is started but discontinued for extenuating circumstances or patient safety.
`54`	Surgical care only	Use when billing only the surgeon’s operative portion and another provider bills pre/postoperative care.
`55`	Postoperative management only	Use when billing only the postoperative management (surgeon not performing the operation).
`62`	Two surgeons	Use when two surgeons (co-surgeons) of different specialties perform distinct portions of the operation requiring their individual skills.
`79`	Unrelated procedure/service by same physician during postoperative period	Use when an unrelated procedure is performed during the global period for a separate condition.
`78`	Unplanned return to the OR by same physician following initial procedure for a related procedure during the global period	Use for unplanned reoperation related to the initial `27511` within the global period.
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when the procedure requires substantially greater work than typical (extensive dissection, prolonged operative time).
`58`	Staged or related procedure during postoperative period	Use when a planned staged procedure is performed during the global period as part of definitive management.
`76`	Repeat procedure by same physician	Use if the same procedure is repeated later the same day by the same surgeon.
`RT` / `LT`	Right side / Left side	Use to indicate laterality when the EHR/billing system requires explicit laterality modifiers; use `RT` for right femur, `LT` for left femur.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207L00000X	Orthopaedic Surgery	Primary specialty performing open reduction and internal fixation of femoral fractures.
2080P0206X	Orthopedic Trauma Surgery	Subspecialty focus on complex fractures and perioperative trauma care.
207R00000X	Surgery: General	General surgeons occasionally involved in polytrauma settings or when orthopedic coverage unavailable.
208000000X	Emergency Medicine	Initial diagnosis and stabilization in the ED prior to definitive operative care.
261QM0800X	Anesthesiology	Provides general or regional anesthesia for operative fixation procedures.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`S72.441A`	Displaced supracondylar fracture of left femur, initial encounter for closed fracture	Typical presenting diagnosis for left supracondylar femur fracture treated with open reduction and internal fixation.
`S72.442A`	Displaced supracondylar fracture of right femur, initial encounter for closed fracture	Typical presenting diagnosis for right supracondylar femur fracture treated with open reduction and internal fixation.
`S72.451A`	Unspecified supracondylar fracture of left femur, initial encounter for closed fracture	Used when displacement is not specified but surgical fixation is performed.
`S72.452A`	Unspecified supracondylar fracture of right femur, initial encounter for closed fracture	As above for the right side.
`S72.431A`	Distal femoral fracture involving medial condyle, left, initial encounter for closed fracture	Included when fracture approaches but does not extend into intercondylar area or condylar involvement suspected.
`S72.430A`	Distal femoral fracture involving unspecified condyle, initial encounter for closed fracture	Used for distal femoral fractures near the supracondylar region when laterality or specific condyle not specified.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`27511`	Open treatment of supracondylar fracture of femur; with internal fixation using screws, pins, or wires (fracture does not extend into intercondylar area)	Primary procedure for open reduction and internal fixation of supracondylar distal femur fractures.
`27447`	Arthroplasty, knee, condyle and plateau; medial OR lateral compartment	May be relevant for older patients with severe articular involvement where fixation is not appropriate; alternative reconstruction.
`27520`	Open treatment of distal femoral fracture, with or without internal or external fixation, proximal to the condyles	Used for more proximal distal femoral fractures or when fracture pattern extends beyond supracondylar region.
`20690`	Aspiration and/or injection of joint or bursa; without ultrasound guidance	Sometimes performed postoperatively for joint effusion management; ancillary service in postoperative course.
`20680`	Removal of implanted hardware, deep (requiring incision and dissection)	May be performed at a later date if hardware removal is indicated after fracture healing.
`73630`	Radiologic examination, lower extremity, femur; 1 view	Preoperative and postoperative radiographs are performed to document fracture and fixation alignment.

CPT 27500: Femoral Shaft Fracture Reduction

CPT-27501-CLOSED-REDUCTION-SUPRACONDYLAR-FEMUR-FRACTURE

CPT 27501: Closed Reduction of Supracondylar Femur Fracture

CPT-27502-CLOSED-REDUCTION-FEMORAL-SHAFT-FRACTURE-MANIPULATION

CPT 27502: Closed Reduction of Femoral Shaft Fracture

CPT-27503-CLOSED-REDUCTION-SUPRACONDYLAR-FEMUR-FRACTURE

CPT 27503: Closed Reduction of Supracondylar Femur Fracture

CPT-27506-OPEN-REDUCTION-FEMORAL-SHAFT-INTRAMEDULLARY-FIXATION

CPT 27506: Open Reduction of Femoral Shaft Fracture with Intramedullary Fixation

CPT-27507-OPEN-REDUCTION-FEMORAL-SHAFT-PLATE-SCREW-FIXATION

CPT 27507: Open Reduction, Femoral Shaft Fracture with Plate or Screw Fixation

CPT-27508-CLOSED-REDUCTION-DISTAL-FEMUR-CONDYLAR-FRACTURE

CPT 27508: Closed Reduction of Distal Femur Condylar Fracture

CPT-27509-PERCUTANEOUS-FEMORAL-CONDYLAR-FRACTURE-FIXATION

CPT 27509: Percutaneous Fixation of Femoral Condylar Fracture

CPT-27510-CLOSED-REDUCTION-DISTAL-FEMUR-CONDYLAR-FRACTURE

CPT 27510: Closed Reduction of Distal Femur Condylar Fracture

CPT-27513-DISTAL-FEMUR-INTERCONDYLAR-FRACTURE-OPEN-REDUCTION

CPT 27513: Open Reduction, Distal Femur Intercondylar Fracture

Showing 1–10 of 30

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

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CPT 27511: Supracondylar Femur Fracture Open Reduction with Fixation

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Billing Code Overview

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

References