Summary & Overview
CPT 29325: Hip Spica / Trunk and Leg Body Cast Application
CPT code 29325 denotes the application of a hip spica or one-and-one-half spica body cast that immobilizes the hip and thigh by encasing the trunk and one or both legs to the knee, ankle, or foot. This procedure is clinically important for stabilizing hip fractures, postoperative immobilization, and certain pediatric or adult orthopedic conditions that require prolonged constraint of the hip and proximal femur. Nationwide, appropriate coding of 29325 affects hospital and ambulatory surgical billing, care planning, and utilization monitoring for orthopedic immobilization.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of the clinical context and settings where 29325 is used, paired with discussion of national billing considerations and common modifiers. The publication outlines benchmarks for utilization and reimbursement patterns where available, highlights policy or coverage nuances among major payers, and summarizes the clinical scenarios that typically support use of this code.
The content is organized to help administrators, coders, and policy analysts understand when 29325 applies, where the service is typically delivered, and what information payers commonly expect to support claims. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 29325 describes the application of a spica body cast that encases the trunk and both legs down to the ankle or foot, or one leg down to the ankle or foot and one leg down to the knee in a one-and-one-half spica cast. This cast immobilizes the hip and thigh to aid in healing, commonly used following hip fractures or procedures requiring prolonged immobilization of the hip and proximal femur.
Service type: Immobilization / Cast application
Typical site of service: Hospital inpatient or outpatient orthopedic service, emergency department, or ambulatory surgical center, where orthopedic immobilization and cast application are performed.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is an adult or pediatric patient presenting with a hip fracture, unstable proximal femur fracture, or postoperative immobilization requirement after open reduction and internal fixation of the hip. The orthopaedic surgeon or cast technician applies a hip spica cast — a trunk-encasing cast that extends to both legs down to the ankle or foot, or one leg to the ankle/foot and the opposite leg to the knee — to immobilize the hip and thigh to promote fracture healing and limit motion.
A common clinical workflow: the patient arrives to the operating room, procedure room, or cast room; pre-procedure assessment and informed consent are completed; regional or general anesthesia or sedation is administered as needed; the limb is positioned and padded; stockinette and soft roll applied; plaster or fiberglass material is molded to create a one-and-one-half spica cast per surgical orders; neurovascular checks are performed after application; discharge instructions and follow-up arranged with immobilization care guidance and weight-bearing restrictions documented.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | When billing only the physician interpretation portion in services that have separate professional/technical components (rare for cast application). |