CPT 73702 CT Lower Extremity Reimbursement | OpenPayer

Summary & Overview

CPT 73702: CT Scan of Lower Extremity, With and Without Contrast

Headline: CPT code 73702: CT Scan of Lower Extremity With and Without Contrast

Lead: CPT code 73702 describes a diagnostic computed tomography (CT) exam of the lower extremity performed first without contrast and then again following contrast administration to capture additional sectional images. The code is commonly used in clinical pathways for evaluating fractures and a wide range of lower-extremity diseases.

CPT code 73702 matters nationally because CT imaging plays a central role in acute musculoskeletal diagnosis and surgical planning, and it affects triage and resource use across emergency departments, outpatient imaging centers, and inpatient radiology services. Payors commonly involved in coverage and payment for this service include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare.

This publication provides a concise overview of clinical purpose, expected sites of service, and the payer landscape for CPT code 73702. Readers will find: benchmark context for utilization and reimbursement (where available), common clinical indications that drive use, and coding considerations tied to the dual-phase (noncontrast and contrast-enhanced) nature of the study. Data not available in the input will be noted as such. The goal is to equip coding, billing, and clinical teams with a clear, national-level summary of what CPT code 73702 represents and where it is applied in care delivery.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareMedicareCPT 73702Computed TomographyLower Extremity ImagingDiagnostic RadiologyImaging ProcedureContrast CTMusculoskeletal CTEmergency ImagingOutpatient Imaging

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 73702 describes a computed tomography (CT) scan of the lower extremity performed without contrast initially and repeated after intravenous contrast injection to obtain further sections. The procedure is used for radiologic evaluation when diagnosing fractures or disease processes affecting the lower extremity.

Service type: Diagnostic radiology, CT scan of the lower extremity with and without contrast
Typical site of service: Outpatient imaging center, hospital radiology department, or emergency department imaging suite

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 38-year-old patient presents to the emergency department after a fall from a ladder with focal severe pain, swelling, and inability to bear weight on the lower leg. Plain radiographs are inconclusive for a nondisplaced tibial shaft or distal tibia fracture. The orthopedic team orders a contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) of the lower extremity to evaluate bone detail, assess for occult fracture fragments, characterize complex intra-articular extension, and evaluate adjacent soft-tissue structures and vascular enhancement when indicated.

Clinical workflow: The patient is triaged, clinical history and informed consent for CT with contrast are obtained, and renal function is reviewed. The CT technologist performs a non-contrast scan of the suspected region for baseline bone detail, then administers intravenous iodinated contrast and acquires post-contrast series for additional soft-tissue and vascular assessment. The interpreting radiologist provides a diagnostic report describing fracture presence, displacement, fragment orientation, joint involvement, and any soft-tissue or vascular findings to guide orthopedic management.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`26`	Professional component	When billing only the interpreting physician’s professional component separate from the facility technical component.

CPT 73564: Knee Radiographs, Four or More Views

CPT-73580-KNEE-ARTHROGRAPHY-IMAGING-SUPERVISION-INTERPRETATION

CPT 73580: Knee Arthrography Imaging Supervision and Interpretation

CPT-73522-BILATERAL-HIP-X-RAYS-MULTIPLE-PROJECTIONS

CPT 73522: Bilateral Hip X‑Rays, Multiple Projections

CPT-73723-MRI-LOWER-EXTREMITY-JOINT-WITH-AND-WITHOUT-CONTRAST

CPT 73723: MRI Lower Extremity Joint, Without and With Contrast

CPT-73610-ANKLE-XRAY-THREE-OR-MORE-VIEWS

CPT 73610: Ankle X‑ray, Three or More Views

CPT-73592-INFANT-LOWER-EXTREMITY-XRAY-MULTIPLE-VIEWS

CPT 73592: Infant Lower Extremity X‑ray, Two or More Views

CPT-73565-STANDING-KNEE-WEIGHT-BEARING-XRAY

CPT 73565: Standing Weight-Bearing Knee Radiographs

CPT-73525-HIP-ARTHROGRAPHY-IMAGING-SUPERVISION-INTERPRETATION

CPT 73525: Hip Arthrography Imaging Supervision and Interpretation

73721-MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-EG-PROTON-IMAGING-ANY-JOINT-OF-LOWER

CPT 73721: MRI of Lower Extremity Joint, without Contrast

CPT-73600-ANKLE-XRAY-TWO-VIEWS

CPT 73600: Ankle X‑ray, Two Views

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Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
2080P0001X	Diagnostic Radiology	Performs and interprets CT imaging of lower extremity for fracture and disease assessment.
2086S0102X	Orthopedic Surgery	Orders CT for preoperative planning and fracture characterization.
363A00000X	Emergency Medicine	Initial evaluation and triage; may order emergent CT imaging.
207L00000X	Vascular Surgery	Consult when vascular injury is suspected and CT contrast series evaluate vessels.
207M00000X	Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation	May utilize CT findings for treatment planning and functional assessment.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`S82.201A`	Unspecified fracture of shaft of right tibia, initial encounter for closed fracture	Common indication to obtain CT for complex tibial shaft fracture evaluation.
`S82.202A`	Unspecified fracture of shaft of left tibia, initial encounter for closed fracture	Left-sided equivalent; side-specific coding is typical when laterality known.
`S82.841A`	Nondisplaced fracture of medial malleolus of right tibia, initial encounter for closed fracture	Ankle fractures frequently require CT to assess articular involvement.
`S82.842A`	Nondisplaced fracture of medial malleolus of left tibia, initial encounter for closed fracture	Contralateral equivalent for left ankle.
`M84.461A`	Stress fracture, right tibia, initial encounter for fracture	CT may be used when radiographs are equivocal for stress fractures.
`S89.011A`	Traumatic compartment syndrome of right lower leg, initial encounter	CT with contrast can assess soft-tissue and vascular compromise adjunctively.
`M00.86`	Other streptococcal arthritis, unspecified lower leg joint	CT may be used in infectious or inflammatory processes to evaluate adjacent bone involvement.
`S98.011A`	Open wound of right lower leg with foreign body, initial encounter	CT can localize foreign bodies and their relation to bone or vessels.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`73600`	Radiologic examination, ankle; 2 views	Often performed as initial plain radiographs before CT to evaluate for obvious fractures.
`73700`	Radiologic examination, tibia and fibula; complete, minimum of 3 views	Plain films frequently obtained prior to CT to document initial alignment and obvious fractures.
`70450`	CT head or brain without contrast	Not directly related to lower extremity CT; listed here only as an example of a non-contrast CT protocol (Data not applicable to lower extremity imaging).
`73721`	Magnetic resonance (e.g., MR) lower extremity joint without contrast	Alternative cross-sectional modality used when soft-tissue, ligamentous, or cartilage evaluation is needed instead of or after CT.
`74177`	CT abdomen and pelvis with contrast, followed by contrast after initial without (CT angiographic protocol)	Represents contrast timing technique analogous to dual-phase imaging used in complex vascular assessment (not specific to lower extremity but conceptually related).

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