Summary & Overview
HCPCS L2260: Addition to Lower Extremity, Reinforced Solid Stirrup (Scott-Craig Type)
HCPCS Level II code L2260 designates an orthotic component: an addition to a lower-extremity device described as a reinforced solid stirrup (Scott-Craig type). This component is used to enhance lateral and medial support for the ankle and foot when attached to an existing orthosis or brace, and it has implications for DME suppliers, orthotists, and outpatient rehabilitation providers. Nationally, accurate coding for such orthotic additions affects reimbursement, inventory management, and patient access to appropriate support devices.
Key payers addressed in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of clinical context for use of the reinforced solid stirrup, typical sites of service where the component is applied, and the administrative considerations that influence coverage and billing. The publication outlines common billing practices and coding relationships relevant to L2260, and summarizes where data is available and where input is limited. This resource is intended to help billing managers, compliance officers, and clinical procurement staff understand the code's purpose, the provider settings involved, and the payer landscape at a national level.
Billing Code Overview
HCPCS Level II code L2260 describes an addition to lower extremity, reinforced solid stirrup (Scott-Craig type). This code covers a durable medical equipment component that attaches to a lower-extremity orthosis or brace to provide reinforced lateral and medial support to the ankle and foot. The service type is orthotic component provision/adjustment, and the typical site of service is outpatient orthotics or durable medical equipment (DME) clinics, prosthetics and orthotics providers, or outpatient rehabilitation settings.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 56-year-old patient with a recent lateral ankle sprain and underlying chronic lateral ankle instability presents to an orthopedic clinic for fabrication of an ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) modification. The clinician prescribes an addition of a reinforced solid stirrup (Scott-Craig type) to a prefabricated or custom lower-extremity orthosis to improve coronal-plane support and limit inversion/eversion. The clinical workflow includes: initial evaluation by an orthopedic surgeon or certified orthotist, measurement and casting or fitting of the existing device, documentation of functional deficits and objective findings (swelling, laxity, prior surgeries), selection of the reinforced solid stirrup component, fabrication or attachment in an orthotics lab, fitting and patient education on donning, doffing, skin checks, and follow-up for adjustments. Typical locations for service delivery are an outpatient orthopedic clinic, a durable medical equipment/orthotics provider facility, or a hospital outpatient department. The patient often has activity limitations (ambulation with pain, recurrent giving way) and may have prior imaging (X-ray or MRI) documenting ligament injury or degenerative changes; the addition is supplied to improve stability and reduce risk of recurrent sprain or to protect a post-operative repair during rehabilitation.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
LT | Left side | Use when the reinforced solid stirrup is furnished for the left lower extremity |