CPT 28555: Open Treatment of Tarsal Bone Dislocation - OpenPayer

Summary & Overview

CPT 28555: Open Treatment of Tarsal Bone Dislocation

CPT code 28555 denotes the open treatment of a tarsal bone dislocation in the midfoot or rearfoot, with the option to use internal fixation such as pins or screws. The code is clinically important for foot and ankle trauma care and surgical orthopedics because it captures procedures to restore joint alignment among the tarsal bones (talus is mentioned among tarsals but talotarsal joints are excluded). Accurate use of this CPT code affects clinical documentation, hospital and ambulatory surgical billing, and national procedural statistics for foot and ankle surgeries.

Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a compact synthesis of coding context, typical sites of service, and the clinical scope of the procedure. The publication also summarizes common modifiers provided in the input, service-line placement, and where to expect this code in surgical and facility billing workflows. National relevance includes procedure classification for trauma and reconstructive foot surgery, implications for facility and professional claims, and the role of precise code selection in aligning clinical intent with billing classifications.

Data not available in the input: associated taxonomies, specific ICD-10 diagnoses commonly billed with this code, payer-specific reimbursement rates, and related CPT or HCPCS codes.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareMedicare28555CPTtarsal-dislocationfoot-and-ankle-surgeryopen-reductioninternal-fixationsurgical-procedureorthopedics

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 28555 describes the open treatment of a tarsal bone dislocation, which addresses abnormal separation of a joint among the tarsal bones of the midfoot and rearfoot. The procedure may include open reduction and, when used, internal fixation with implants such as pins or screws. This code specifically excludes talotarsal joints.

Service type: Surgical — open reduction of a tarsal dislocation (with or without internal fixation)

Typical site of service: Hospital inpatient or outpatient operating room or ambulatory surgical center, depending on clinical situation and acuity.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 34-year-old patient presents to the emergency department after an inversion injury to the midfoot sustained while playing soccer. They have severe midfoot pain, swelling, and inability to bear weight. Radiographs and CT demonstrate a displaced dislocation of a tarsal joint in the midfoot (e.g., naviculocuneiform or calcaneocuboid) without talotarsal involvement. The orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon schedules an urgent open reduction and possible internal fixation.

The clinical workflow includes: initial ED evaluation with neurovascular and soft-tissue assessment, imaging (weight-bearing radiographs and CT as needed), informed consent discussing open reduction with possible pins or screws, preoperative medical optimization, perioperative anesthesia (general or regional), operative open reduction of the tarsal dislocation using standard approaches, fixation if required with screws/pins, intraoperative fluoroscopy to confirm alignment, postoperative immobilization (splint or cast), pain control, and follow-up for wound check and progressive weight-bearing per surgeon protocol. The typical site of service is the hospital operating room or ambulatory surgery center depending on acuity and comorbidity. Service type: open surgical treatment of a tarsal bone dislocation, with or without internal fixation (28555).

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`50`	Bilateral procedure

CPT 28456: Percutaneous Fixation of Tarsal Bone Fracture, Excluding Talus/Calcaneus

cpt-28576-talotarsal-joint-dislocation-percutaneous-fixation

CPT 28576: Percutaneous Fixation for Talotarsal Joint Dislocation

cpt-28415-calcaneal-fracture-open-reduction-internal-fixation

CPT 28415: Open Surgical Treatment of Calcaneal Fracture

cpt-28600-tarsometatarsal-joint-dislocation-closed-treatment

CPT 28600: Closed Treatment of Tarsometatarsal Joint Dislocation

cpt-28445-open-treatment-talus-fracture

CPT 28445: Open Treatment of Talus Fracture

cpt-28630-metatarsophalangeal-joint-closed-reduction-no-anesthesia

CPT 28630: Closed Reduction of Metatarsophalangeal Joint Dislocation

cpt-28635-closed-reduction-metatarsophalangeal-dislocation

CPT 28635: Closed Reduction of Metatarsophalangeal Joint Dislocation

cpt-28636-metatarsophalangeal-joint-dislocation-fixation

CPT 28636: Metatarsophalangeal Joint Dislocation Treatment with Fixation

cpt-28570-talotarsal-joint-closed-reduction-no-anesthesia

CPT 28570: Closed Reduction of Talotarsal Joint Dislocation Without Anesthesia

cpt-28645-open-treatment-metatarsophalangeal-joint-dislocation

CPT 28645: Open Treatment of Metatarsophalangeal Joint Dislocation

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Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207P00000X	Orthopedic Surgery	Foot and ankle surgeons commonly perform open tarsal dislocation reductions.
207W00000X	Podiatry (Surgery)	Podiatric surgeons manage midfoot and rearfoot open reductions and fixation.
2080P0207X	General Surgery (Trauma/Orthopedics crossover)	Trauma surgeons in some centers perform foot open reductions in multi-trauma cases.
363A00000X	Anesthesiology	Provides general or regional anesthesia for operative management.
261QM0800X	Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation	Manages postoperative rehabilitation and functional recovery.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`S92.009A`	Unspecified fracture of calcaneus, initial encounter for closed fracture	Calcaneal fractures can be associated with tarsal dislocations requiring open reduction.
`S92.031A`	Dislocation of talocalcaneal joint, initial encounter	While talotarsal joints are excluded from `28555`, nearby joint dislocations are relevant in differential and surgical planning.
`S92.541A`	Dislocation of midtarsal joint, right foot, initial encounter	Directly describes a tarsal dislocation that may be treated with open reduction using `28555`.
`S92.542A`	Dislocation of midtarsal joint, left foot, initial encounter	Same as above for the left side.
`S93.401A`	Sprain of unspecified ligament of ankle, initial encounter	Associated soft-tissue injury that can accompany tarsal dislocations and affect management.
`M24.67`	Recurrent dislocation, ankle and foot	Relevant for chronic instability cases requiring open reduction and fixation.
`S93.301A`	Dislocation of ankle, unspecified, initial encounter	Used when anatomic specifics are not yet determined but significant dislocation is present and may require surgery.
`S90.85XA`	Other superficial injury of foot, initial encounter	Represents soft-tissue trauma that often accompanies tarsal dislocations and impacts timing of surgery.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`28555`	Open treatment of tarsal bone dislocation; may include internal fixation	Primary procedure for open reduction (this code itself).
`28080`	Closed treatment of tarsal dislocation, without manipulation, each	May be attempted prior to open reduction if appropriate; often not applicable for displaced injuries requiring `28555`.
`27814`	Open treatment of calcaneal fracture with internal fixation	Performed when a calcaneal fracture accompanies or requires fixation along with tarsal dislocation management.
`28725`	Osteotomy, tarsal; intraoperative procedures for realignment (example code for midfoot correction)	Performed when additional realignment osteotomy is required at the time of open reduction.
`20690`	Application of external fixation device	Used when temporary external fixation is applied for severe soft-tissue injury or multi-stage reconstruction prior to definitive `28555` fixation.
`73630`	Radiologic examination, foot; three views	Common diagnostic imaging performed pre- or post-operatively to evaluate joint alignment and fixation.

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