Our physician submitted the following procedures for the anterior and posterior compartments of the elbow. I was under the impression that the concept of coding compartments does not apply in the elbow but the physician is sure they can be reported separately, just like in the knee. Can you help clarify this for us? The procedures he dictated are:

• Arthroscopic extensive debridement, chondroplasty, and partial synovectomy, anterior compartment left elbow.
• Arthroscopic extensive debridement, chondroplasy, and partial synovectomy, posterior compartment left elbow.
  

The physician is correct in that there are anterior and posterior compartment of the elbow, but unlike the shoulder and knee, coding for arthroscopic procedures in the elbow is not recognized.  Thus, the codes for arthroscopic elbow procedures 29830-29838 are for the entire elbow and are not compartment specific.  If we apply the same concept in the elbow as we do in the shoulder for limited and extensive debridement, a limited debridement would be debridement in either the anterior or posterior compartment, while extensive debridement would be debridement in both the anterior and posterior compartments.

Mary LeGrand, RN, MA, CCS-P, CPC
KarenZupko & Associates, Inc.