Summary & Overview
CPT 73660: Radiograph, Toes, Minimum Two Views
CPT code 73660 denotes a diagnostic radiographic examination comprised of a minimum of two X‑ray views of one or more toes to assess acute injury, suspected fracture, degenerative disease, neoplasm, or congenital anomaly. As a common musculoskeletal imaging service, this code is routinely used across emergency departments, urgent care settings, outpatient imaging centers, and physician offices; it supports clinical decision making for immobilization, referral, or surgical planning. Nationally, toe radiography represents a frequent, low‑cost imaging modality that factors into utilization and imaging stewardship discussions.
Key payers included in this analysis are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical indications and sites of service, common billing and coding considerations, payer coverage patterns, and benchmarking context where available. The publication highlights what payers typically expect for documentation of clinical indications, the role of plain radiography relative to advanced imaging, and typical encounter settings where CPT code 73660 is reported.
This summary is written for a national audience and provides the clinical context and billing framing necessary for revenue cycle leaders, clinicians, and policy stakeholders to understand how CPT code 73660 is applied in practice and how it fits into broader imaging utilization and coverage conversations.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 73660 describes a diagnostic radiographic procedure consisting of two or more X‑ray views of one or more toes. The study is used to evaluate injury, fracture, arthritis, tumor, or congenital abnormalities affecting the toe(s).
Service Type: Diagnostic radiology — plain film X‑ray of the toes
Typical Site of Service: Outpatient radiology department, hospital imaging center, urgent care clinic, or physician office with radiographic capability
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is an adult presenting to an urgent care clinic or outpatient radiology department after stubbing or dropping an object on the foot, reporting localized toe pain, swelling, deformity, or inability to bear weight. The ordering provider (primary care physician, podiatrist, or emergency clinician) documents history of trauma, focal point of pain, and physical exam findings such as ecchymosis, tenderness over a phalanx, joint misalignment, or crepitus. The radiology technologist performs a minimum of two X‑ray views of the affected toe (usually anteroposterior and lateral, sometimes oblique) to evaluate for fracture, dislocation, degenerative change, foreign body, tumor, or congenital abnormality. The interpreting provider (radiologist or qualified clinician) reviews images, issues a report with impression and any recommendations for follow‑up (e.g., immobilization, orthopedic or podiatry referral). Typical workflow locations include urgent care, hospital emergency department, outpatient imaging center, and office‑based settings where portable or fixed radiography units are available.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use when reporting the interpreting physician's portion only when the technical component is billed separately. |
TC |