Summary & Overview
CPT 28750: Great Toe Metatarsophalangeal Joint Immobilization
CPT code 28750 represents a surgical procedure to immobilize (arthrodesis or fusion) the metatarsophalangeal joint of the great toe. This procedure is commonly used to address severe joint pain, deformity, or instability of the first MTP joint and is relevant to national surgical, orthopedic, and podiatric practice patterns. It matters nationally because the procedure affects hospital and ambulatory surgery utilization, device and implant use, and postoperative care pathways.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise clinical description of the service, typical sites of care, and how the code is used across surgical settings. The publication summarizes common modifiers associated with surgical services, highlights payer coverage relevance, and provides context for coding and billing workflows. It also outlines benchmarks and policy considerations where available and notes areas where input data were not provided.
This summary serves providers, coding professionals, and policy analysts seeking a succinct national overview of CPT code 28750, its clinical role, and the payer landscape relevant to foot and ankle surgical services.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 28750 describes a surgical procedure to immobilize the metatarsophalangeal joint of the great toe. The procedure surgically fuses or fixes the joint between the first metatarsal and the proximal phalanx of the great toe to eliminate motion at that joint.
Service Type: Surgical foot procedure (toe joint arthrodesis/arthrodesis-related procedure)
Typical Site of Service: Hospital operating room or ambulatory surgical center
Data not available in the input for Associated Taxonomies, ICD-10 Diagnoses, and Related Codes.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is a 58-year-old woman with progressive hallux rigidus causing dorsal pain and limited dorsiflexion of the first metatarsophalangeal joint. Conservative care (orthotics, NSAIDs, corticosteroid injection) failed and radiographs show advanced joint degeneration with osteophyte formation and joint space narrowing. The orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon evaluates the patient in an outpatient clinic, documents functional limitation and failed conservative therapy, reviews imaging, obtains informed consent, and schedules an operative metatarsophalangeal arthrodesis of the great toe.
Preoperative workflow includes medical clearance, medication reconciliation, and pre-op anesthesia assessment. On the day of surgery the patient receives regional or general anesthesia, the operative site is prepped, and the surgeon performs surgical exposure of the first metatarsophalangeal joint, prepares bone surfaces, and achieves fusion with internal fixation (screws, plates, or a combination) and appropriate bone graft if indicated. Postoperative workflow includes wound care instructions, short-term immobilization in a cast or boot, weight-bearing restrictions, and follow-up for radiographic confirmation of fusion and rehabilitation as indicated.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
59 | Distinct procedural service | When a separate procedure or service not normally billed together is performed on the same day and not normally reported together with the primary procedure |