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    v1.0.28
    OpenPayerBilling CodesExcision Procedures on the Foot and ToesCPT cpt-28108-foot-phalangeal-bone-lesion-excision
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    CPT 28108: Excision of Bone Cyst or Benign Tumor, Phalanges of Foot

    Medicare pays $446 on average nationally for this procedure.

    CPT code 28108 describes the surgical excision of a bone cyst or benign tumor from the phalanges of the foot; this is an operative orthopedic procedure (tumor/cyst removal) typically performed in an inpatient or outpatient surgical setting such as an ambulatory surgery center or hospital operating room and involves removal of the lesion with preservation of surrounding phalangeal structures.

    For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Hip Arthroplasty (partial and total hip replacement), Shoulder Arthroplasty (Total, Partial, Reverse, Revision and Resurfacing), Artificial Lumbar Intervertebral Disc (Lumbar Total Disc Arthroplasty).

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    Table of contents

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    Clinical & Coding Specifications

    Clinical Context

    A 28-year-old patient presents to a podiatric surgical clinic with progressive pain and a palpable mass over the proximal phalanx of the second toe after months of intermittent discomfort and recurrent local swelling. Radiographs and MRI demonstrate a benign-appearing lytic bone lesion consistent with a simple bone cyst (unicameral bone cyst) localized to the phalanx without cortical breach. The patient is scheduled for surgical excision and curettage of the cyst under regional block with conscious sedation in an ambulatory surgery center. The workflow includes preoperative imaging review, informed consent, anesthesia evaluation, intraoperative excision of the cyst and curettage of the bony cavity, possible bone grafting or local bone substitute placement if needed, hemostasis, layered closure, sterile dressing and postoperative weight-bearing instructions. Follow-up visits include wound check at 10–14 days and radiographic surveillance at 6–12 weeks to evaluate healing and detect recurrence. Billing uses 28108 for removal of a benign bone cyst or benign tumor of the phalanges of the foot; appropriate modifiers are appended for laterality, professional component, or unusual service circumstances as applicable. Payors commonly involved include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, BUCA, and Medicare.

    Related CPT Codes

    CPT CodeDescriptionRelationship to This Procedure
    20680Resection of bone cyst; major or marginal resection, other than skull or faceMay be used for adjacent bone cyst resection when more extensive bony work is required beyond a phalanx
    28170Excision or curettage of metatarsal bone cyst or benign tumorSimilar procedure for metatarsal location; used when lesion is in the metatarsal rather than the phalanx
    11010Debridement of bone and cartilage; includes cortical bone with or without drilling (minor), up to 1.5 cmMay be reported for adjunctive debridement of small bony defects when appropriate (use with caution and documentation)
    20930Allograft, morselized, or placement of bone graft substituteUsed when bone grafting or bone substitute is implanted into the curetted phalangeal defect
    64450Injection(s), anesthetic agent and/or steroid; peripheral nerve block (e.g., digital nerve block)Report when a peripheral nerve block is performed for anesthesia in the surgical setting

    Related Modifiers

    8 rows

    ModifierDescriptionWhen to Use
    50Modifier –50 (Bilateral Procedure) is appended to a CPT code when an identical procedure is performed on paired anatomical structures during the same operative session. The AMA states to add…- Use modifier -50 when the same CPT surgical, diagnostic, or radiology procedure is performed on paired anatomical structures (both sides of the body) during the same operative/session by the same…
    26Modifier 26 (Professional Component) identifies and bills only the professional portion of a split service — the physician’s interpretation, report, and medical judgment — when the technical…- Use CPT Modifier -26 when you are billing only the professional component (PC) of a split‑bill eligible service—i.e., you performed the physician interpretation, medical judgment and prepared a…
    22Modifier –22 (Increased Procedural Services) is used when a reported procedure is substantially more extensive than normally required. The CPT Manual and CMS state it may be appended only when the…- When to use: Append modifier -22 to a procedural CPT code when the service performed is substantially more extensive than the usual service described by that code — i.e., the procedure required…
    52Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…
    53Modifier 53 (Discontinued Procedure) signals that a surgical or diagnostic service was begun by the physician but terminated because of extenuating circumstances that threatened the patient’s…- Use modifier -53 when a physician/qualified healthcare professional has started a surgical or diagnostic procedure (e.g., anesthesia administered, incision or scope insertion) and then discontinues…
    59Modifier 59 indicates a distinct procedural service when two procedures that are not normally billed together are clinically and procedurally separate. The CPT definition (as reiterated by CMS)…- Use modifier -59 to report a distinct procedural service when documentation supports that the procedure reported is not normally billed together with another service on the same day because of a…
    62Modifier 62 indicates that two surgeons function as co‑surgeons, each performing distinct parts of the same primary surgical procedure. It is appended to the primary procedure code (and any…- Use modifier -62 when two surgeons act as co‑surgeons (both primary surgeons) on a single definitive primary procedure, each performing distinct parts of the same surgical procedure (append -62 to…
    76Modifier -76, Repeat Procedure or Service by Same Physician or Other Qualified Health Care Professional, is appended when the same provider performs an identical, medically necessary procedure or…- Use modifier -76 when the same physician or other qualified health care professional performs an identical procedure or service a second (or subsequent) time on the same date of service and the…

    Related Provider Taxonomies

    8 rows

    Taxonomy CodeSpecialtyNotes
    207P00000XEmergency Medicine PhysicianAn emergency physician focuses on the immediate decision making and action necessary to prevent death or any further disability both in the pre-hospit…
    207L00000XAnesthesiology PhysicianAn anesthesiologist is trained to provide pain relief and maintenance, or restoration, of a stable condition during and immediately following an opera…
    225100000XPhysical TherapistPhysical therapists (PTs) are licensed health care professionals who diagnose and treat individuals of all ages, from newborns to the very oldest, who…
    332900000XNon-Pharmacy Dispensing SiteA site other than a pharmacy that dispenses medicinal preparations under the supervision of a physician to patients for self-administration. (e.g. phy…
    163WH1000XHospice Registered NurseNursing Service Providers · Registered Nurse
    204C00000XSports Medicine (Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine) PhysicianA Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine physician trained to be responsible for the continuous care in the field of spor…
    1835P1400XPain Management PharmacistA licensed pharmacist who has demonstrated specialized knowledge and skills, providing integrated, comprehensive, and accessible healthcare services t…
    111NR0400XRehabilitation ChiropractorRehabilitation is the discipline focused on restoring a patient's functional abilities to pre-injury or pre-disease status. Functional abilities are d…

    Related Payer Policy Updates

    Specialty: Orthopedics/Musculoskeletal1 / 3

    7 rows

    PolicyPayerEffective Date
    Hip Arthroplasty (partial and total hip replacement)univerahealthcare2026-10-15
    Shoulder Arthroplasty (Total, Partial, Reverse, Revision and Resurfacing)univerahealthcare2026-10-15
    Artificial Lumbar Intervertebral Disc (Lumbar Total Disc Arthroplasty)univerahealthcare2026-10-15
    Metal-on-Metal Total Hip Resurfacinguniverahealthcare2026-10-15
    Lumbar Fusion (arthrodesis) with decompressionuniverahealthcare2026-10-15
    Osteochondral Grafting of the Kneeuniverahealthcare2026-10-15
    Sacroiliac Joint Fusion or Stabilizationuniverahealthcare2026-10-15

    Related Codes

    CPT-28039-FOOT-TOE-SOFT-TISSUE-MASS-EXCISION-1-5CM-OR-GREATER

    CPT 28039: Excision of Soft Tissue Mass, Foot or Toe (≥1.5 cm)

    CPT-28041-FOOT-TOE-INTRINSIC-MUSCLE-MASS-EXCISION-15CM-OR-GREATER

    CPT 28041: Excision of Intrinsic Foot/Toe Muscle Mass, ≥1.5 cm

    CPT-28043-FOOT-TOE-SUBCUTANEOUS-MASS-EXCISION

    CPT 28043: Excision of Subcutaneous Foot/Toe Mass (<1.5 cm)

    CPT-28045-FOOT-TOE-SOFT-TISSUE-MASS-EXCISION

    CPT 28045: Excision of Intrinsic Foot/Toe Muscle Mass, <1.5 cm

    CPT-28046-EXTENSIVE-EXCISION-FOOT-TOE-SOFT-TISSUE-TUMOR

    CPT 28046: Extensive Excision of Soft-Tissue Tumor of Foot or Toe, <3 cm

    CPT-28047-EXTENSIVE-SOFT-TISSUE-TUMOR-EXCISION-FOOT-TOE-3CM-OR-MORE

    CPT 28047: Extensive Excision of Foot/Toe Soft Tissue Tumor ≥3 cm

    CPT-28050-FOOT-JOINT-EXPLORATION-SOFT-TISSUE-BIOPSY

    CPT 28050: Open Foot Joint Biopsy of Soft Tissue

    CPT-28052-METATARSOPHALANGEAL-JOINT-SOFT-TISSUE-BIOPSY

    CPT 28052: Open Biopsy of Metatarsophalangeal Joint Soft Tissue

    CPT-28054-DIGITAL-JOINT-BIOPSY-TOE-FINGER

    CPT 28054: Incision for Toe or Finger Joint Biopsy

    CPT-28055-BURSAL-EXCISION-WITH-NERVE-DISSECTION-NEURECTOMY

    CPT 28055: Bursal Debridement with Neurectomy, Upper Ankle/Foot

    Showing 1–10 of 45

    Frequently Asked Questions

    References

    1. 1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
    2. 2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
    3. 3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.
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