Summary & Overview
CPT 29305: Hip Spica Body Cast for Trunk and One Leg Immobilization
CPT code 29305 covers application of a hip spica body cast encasing the trunk and one leg to the ankle or foot, used to immobilize the hip and thigh for fracture healing. This procedural code is significant in orthopaedic and trauma care pathways where nonoperative immobilization or temporary stabilization is required. Nationally, the code is relevant to inpatient and ambulatory surgical workflows and affects facility billing, device and supply use, and care coordination for lower-extremity fractures.
Key payers in the analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise clinical context for CPT code 29305, comparisons to related lower-leg and trunk immobilization codes, and explanations of typical sites of service. The publication outlines common clinical scenarios that prompt use of a hip spica cast and highlights associated procedure groupings used in fracture care.
The content provides benchmarks and policy-oriented guidance on billing context, payer coverage considerations, and code relationships within orthopaedic service lines. It is intended for revenue cycle professionals, orthopaedic clinicians, and policy analysts seeking a clear, actionable summary of CPT code 29305 and its role in national procedural coding and care delivery.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 29305 describes the application of a body cast encasing the trunk and one leg down to the ankle or foot (hip spica cast). The service is used to immobilize the hip and thigh to support healing of hip fractures and related lower-extremity injuries.
Service Type: Cast application / immobilization procedure
Typical Site of Service: Hospital operating room, ambulatory surgery center, or hospital inpatient setting, where procedural casting and fracture immobilization are performed.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 72-year-old female presents to the emergency department after a fall at home with acute left hip and thigh pain and inability to bear weight. Imaging reveals an acute, closed distal tibia fracture and a concomitant displaced proximal femur/hip fracture requiring immobilization. The orthopaedic trauma team examines the patient, confirms neurovascular stability of the lower extremities, and decides to immobilize the torso and the affected lower extremity with a hip spica/body cast that encases the trunk and one leg to the ankle to limit hip and thigh motion prior to definitive surgical fixation. Cast application occurs in the operating room or procedure area under conscious sedation or after regional anesthesia as part of initial fracture management. Typical workflow: initial ED evaluation and imaging, orthopaedic consult, informed consent, anesthesia/sedation as indicated, application of 29305 hip spica/body cast with appropriate padding and documentation of skin condition and neurovascular status, post-procedure imaging as needed, and outpatient or inpatient follow-up for definitive operative planning and cast care instructions.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
LT | Left side | When the cast is applied to the left lower extremity |
RT | Right side | When the cast is applied to the right lower extremity