CPT 73140 Finger Radiography Reimbursement | OpenPayer

Summary & Overview

CPT 73140: Radiologic Study of One or More Fingers, Two or More Views

CPT code 73140 represents a plain radiographic study of one or more fingers with two or more views. As a common diagnostic imaging service, it is frequently used in emergency, urgent care, and outpatient settings to evaluate suspected fractures, dislocations, foreign bodies, infection, and degenerative disease. Nationally, this code matters because it underpins initial musculoskeletal diagnosis and subsequent care pathways, influencing utilization, imaging workflow, and downstream procedures.

Key payers in the analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise explanation of clinical indications and service context, payer coverage patterns and common reimbursement considerations, and operational benchmarks relevant to billing and coding for finger radiographs. The publication provides guidance on documentation expectations tied to the procedure description, typical sites of service where 73140 is billed, and how this code interacts with related imaging services in clinical practice.

The content is intended for coders, billing managers, radiology administrators, and policy analysts seeking a national-level overview of CPT code 73140, covering clinical context, payer relevance, and practical billing considerations. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareMedicare73140CPTradiologyfinger-radiographdiagnostic-imagingmusculoskeletaloutpatient-imagingradiography

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 73140 describes a radiologic examination of one or more fingers with two or more views. The procedure documents imaging of the osseous and soft-tissue structures of the finger(s) to evaluate fractures, dislocations, infections, degenerative changes, or other local pathology.

Service type: Diagnostic radiology — extremity imaging

Typical site of service: Hospital outpatient radiology department, freestanding imaging center, or physician office with radiology capability

Data not available in the input.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 34-year-old right-hand–dominant patient presents to an outpatient radiology clinic after sustaining direct trauma to the index finger while playing recreational sports. The patient reports localized pain, swelling, limited range of motion, and focal point tenderness over the proximal phalanx. The referring clinician orders a diagnostic radiographic study of the affected finger to evaluate for fracture, dislocation, or foreign body.

The clinical workflow: the patient is registered in the outpatient imaging center; medical history and laterality are confirmed; weight-bearing is not applicable; the radiologic technologist performs positioning for the finger, obtaining at least two orthogonal views (e.g., anteroposterior and lateral or oblique) per the radiologist’s protocol. Images are reviewed for adequacy and transmitted to the interpreting provider. The radiologist documents the study, including number of views, findings (fracture lines, displacement, joint congruity, subluxation, or foreign body), and impression. Results are communicated to the referring clinician for treatment planning (splinting, referral to hand surgery, or conservative management). Typical sites of service are outpatient radiology departments, ambulatory imaging centers, and emergency departments. The service type is diagnostic radiography of one or more fingers using two or more views (73140).

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`26`

CPT 73085: Elbow Arthrography, Imaging Supervision and Interpretation

CPT-73020-SINGLE-VIEW-SHOULDER-XRAY

CPT 73020: Single View X‑ray of the Shoulder

CPT-73218-MRI-UPPER-EXTREMITY-NON-JOINT-NON-CONTRAST

CPT 73218: MRI Upper Extremity (Non‑Joint), Without Contrast

CPT-73219-UPPER-EXTREMITY-MRI-CONTRAST-NON-JOINT

CPT 73219: MRI Upper Extremity (Non-Joint) with Contrast

73221-MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-EG-PROTON-IMAGING-ANY-JOINT-OF-UPPER

CPT 73221: MRI of Upper Extremity Joint Without Contrast

CPT-73220-MRI-UPPER-EXTREMITY-NON-JOINT-WITH-AND-WITHOUT-CONTRAST

CPT 73220: MRI Upper Extremity (Non-Joint), With and Without Contrast

CPT-73070-ELBOW-XRAY-2-VIEWS

CPT 73070: Elbow X‑ray, Minimum 2 Views

CPT-73201-CT-UPPER-EXTREMITY-WITH-CONTRAST

CPT 73201: CT of Upper Extremity With Contrast

CPT-73200-CT-UPPER-EXTREMITY-NON-CONTRAST

CPT 73200: CT Imaging of Upper Extremity, Non-Contrast

CPT-73010-SCAPULA-XRAY-COMPLETE-STUDY

CPT 73010: Scapula X‑ray, Complete

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Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207RP0000X	Orthopedic Surgery	Orthopedic surgeons frequently order and interpret musculoskeletal radiographs for fracture management.
207XX0004X	Hand Surgery	Hand surgeons evaluate finger radiographs for operative planning and follow-up.
261QP2000X	Diagnostic Radiology	Radiologists interpret and report extremity radiographs, including finger studies.
207PH0004X	Emergency Medicine	Emergency physicians commonly order finger radiographs in acute traumatic presentations.
163WL0400X	Family Medicine	Primary care and urgent care clinicians order finger radiographs for initial assessment and conservative care.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`S62.501A`	Fracture of unspecified phalanx of right index finger, initial encounter for closed fracture	Finger radiographs are performed to confirm and characterize phalangeal fractures.
`S62.502A`	Fracture of unspecified phalanx of left index finger, initial encounter for closed fracture	Left-sided counterpart; used when imaging the left index finger after trauma.
`S63.501A`	Subluxation and dislocation of unspecified interphalangeal joint of right finger, initial encounter	Radiographs evaluate joint alignment and dislocation extent.
`S63.502A`	Subluxation and dislocation of unspecified interphalangeal joint of left finger, initial encounter	Left-sided dislocation evaluation.
`S60.211A`	Contusion of right finger, initial encounter	Used when soft-tissue injury is suspected; radiographs help exclude underlying fracture.
`T15.0X1A`	Foreign body in right external finger, initial encounter	Radiographs can localize radiopaque foreign bodies in the finger.
`M65.321`	Tenosynovitis, right hand	Radiographs may be obtained to exclude bony pathology when evaluating persistent pain or swelling.
`M20.21`	Hallux valgus (acquired), right foot	Data not applicable to fingers — Data not available in the input.

Note: The above ICD-10 codes are common diagnoses associated with radiographic evaluation of fingers; select the appropriate laterality and encounter code when reporting.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`73030`	Radiologic examination, wrist; 2 views	Performed when wrist injury or occult injury proximal to the finger is suspected, often imaged alongside finger radiographs.
`73110`	Radiologic examination, hand; 2 views	Used when broader evaluation of the entire hand is required instead of single-finger imaging.
`73600`	Radiologic examination, forearm; 2 views	Performed when injury mechanism suggests involvement of forearm bones or to assess alignment in distal injuries.
`73610`	Radiologic examination, humerus; 2 views	Used when there is concern for more proximal upper-extremity injury during trauma evaluation.
`73000`	Radiologic examination, clavicle; 1 view	Occasionally obtained in multisite trauma protocols; included when shoulder girdle injuries are suspected.

Note: If additional facility or professional component reporting is required for 73140, use of 26 and TC modifiers is typical to split interpretation and technical components.

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