AAPC Chapter 8: Musculoskeletal System Test Questions
1. This type of connective tissue attaches a muscle to Tendon
a bone: RATIONALE: Ten-
dons attach muscles
to bone, and liga-
ments attach bones
to other bones.
2. In the CPT codebook, 25000 and 25001 are for in- Extension causes
cisions in the tendon sheath on the wrist. Code straightening of the
25000 is for the extensor tendon and 25001 is for wrist; flexion causes
the flexor tendon sheath. What is the difference bending of the wrist.
between extension and flexion? RATIONALE: When
muscles are named
for their action, words
like flexor and exten-
sor are often included
in the name. Flexion
is bending of a limb
or body part and Ex-
tension is straighten-
ing of a limb or body
part.
3. How would you code a new pathological fracture of M80.051A
the right femur due to postmenopausal osteoporo- RATIONALE: Code
sis? M80.051A describes
a pathological
fracture of the right
femur; In the
ICD-10-CM
Alphabetic Index look
up Fracture/
pathological/due
to/osteoporosis/post-
menopausal — see
Osteoporosis/post-
menopausal/with
pathologic fracture.
You're directed to
, AAPC Chapter 8: Musculoskeletal System Test Questions
M80.00. In the
Alphabetic Index
there is no listing for
femur. Review the
subcategories for
M80.0 in the Tabular
List. Subcategory
M80.05 is used to
Identify current
pathological fracture
of femur. 6th
character 1 is used
for right femur and
7th character A is
used for the initial
encounter.
4. What is the correct ICD-10-CM code for a new pa- S53.032A
tient seen for a left-sided Nursemaid's elbow? RATIONALE: Look up
Nursemaid's elbow,
S53.03-. Verification
in Tabular List ver-
ifies code choice
S53.032A, for left el-
bow, initial encounter.
5. What is the code for a traumatic fracture of the fifth S62.326G
metacarpal shaft on the right hand with delayed RATIONALE: In
healing? ICD-10-CM
Alphabetic Index look
for
Fracture/traumat-
ic/metacarpal/fifth/shaft
(displaced) directing
you to S62.32-. In the
Tabular List
subcategory S62.32
requires a 6th
character for
, AAPC Chapter 8: Musculoskeletal System Test Questions
laterality and a 7th
character for type of
encounter. S62.326G
is the correct code.
ICD-10-CM
Guidelines I.19.c
states "A fracture not
indicated as open or
closed should be
coded to closed. A
fracture not indicated
whether displaced or
not displaced should
be coded to
displaced".
6. The physician performs arthroscopic meniscus re- 29883
pair with partial medial and lateral repairs. What RATIONALE: Code
procedure code is reported? 29883 is for an
arthroscopy, knee,
surgical; with menis-
cus repair (medial
AND lateral). Look
in the CPT Index
for Arthroscopy/Sur-
gical/Knee, which
gives a range of
codes for procedures
on the knee that
can be done with an
arthroscope.
7. The patient has developed plantar fasciitis, a 20550
painful condition in his heel and the sole of RATIONALE: An in-
his foot. He has tried using shoe inserts and jection of a single ten-
over-the-counter pain relievers, but is still having don sheath, or lig-
pain. His physician performs an injection of the ament, aponeurosis
tendon sheath on the bottom of his foot. What pro- (for example: plantar
cedure code is reported? fascia) is coded with
, AAPC Chapter 8: Musculoskeletal System Test Questions
a 20550. Look in the
CPT Index for Tendon
Sheath/Injection.
8. Julia tripped and fell down three stairs in her apart- 28470-TA
ment. X-rays show a fracture of the metatarsal bone RATIONALE: This is
of her left great toe, and the physician treats the a closed treatment
fracture with a special orthotic boot. What proce- because no surgery
dure code is reported? was performed. The
orthotic boot would
be coded separately
by the DME supplier.
Look in the CPT
Index for
Frac-
ture/Metatarsal/Closed
Treatment. Modifier
TA is appended to
indicate the left foot,
great toe.
9. Joe was in a motorcycle accident, and fractured his 27506-RT
right femur. The surgeon placed an intramedullary RATIONALE: The
locking implant (nail) through a buttock incision. surgery is an open
What procedure code is reported? treatment of a closed
femoral shaft fracture
with internal fixation
(intramedullary
implant), and is
reported 27506-RT.
Look in the CPT
Index for
Fracture/Femur/Per-
itrochanteric/In-
tramedullary Implant
Shaft. Report
modifier RT to
indicate right femur.
1. This type of connective tissue attaches a muscle to Tendon
a bone: RATIONALE: Ten-
dons attach muscles
to bone, and liga-
ments attach bones
to other bones.
2. In the CPT codebook, 25000 and 25001 are for in- Extension causes
cisions in the tendon sheath on the wrist. Code straightening of the
25000 is for the extensor tendon and 25001 is for wrist; flexion causes
the flexor tendon sheath. What is the difference bending of the wrist.
between extension and flexion? RATIONALE: When
muscles are named
for their action, words
like flexor and exten-
sor are often included
in the name. Flexion
is bending of a limb
or body part and Ex-
tension is straighten-
ing of a limb or body
part.
3. How would you code a new pathological fracture of M80.051A
the right femur due to postmenopausal osteoporo- RATIONALE: Code
sis? M80.051A describes
a pathological
fracture of the right
femur; In the
ICD-10-CM
Alphabetic Index look
up Fracture/
pathological/due
to/osteoporosis/post-
menopausal — see
Osteoporosis/post-
menopausal/with
pathologic fracture.
You're directed to
, AAPC Chapter 8: Musculoskeletal System Test Questions
M80.00. In the
Alphabetic Index
there is no listing for
femur. Review the
subcategories for
M80.0 in the Tabular
List. Subcategory
M80.05 is used to
Identify current
pathological fracture
of femur. 6th
character 1 is used
for right femur and
7th character A is
used for the initial
encounter.
4. What is the correct ICD-10-CM code for a new pa- S53.032A
tient seen for a left-sided Nursemaid's elbow? RATIONALE: Look up
Nursemaid's elbow,
S53.03-. Verification
in Tabular List ver-
ifies code choice
S53.032A, for left el-
bow, initial encounter.
5. What is the code for a traumatic fracture of the fifth S62.326G
metacarpal shaft on the right hand with delayed RATIONALE: In
healing? ICD-10-CM
Alphabetic Index look
for
Fracture/traumat-
ic/metacarpal/fifth/shaft
(displaced) directing
you to S62.32-. In the
Tabular List
subcategory S62.32
requires a 6th
character for
, AAPC Chapter 8: Musculoskeletal System Test Questions
laterality and a 7th
character for type of
encounter. S62.326G
is the correct code.
ICD-10-CM
Guidelines I.19.c
states "A fracture not
indicated as open or
closed should be
coded to closed. A
fracture not indicated
whether displaced or
not displaced should
be coded to
displaced".
6. The physician performs arthroscopic meniscus re- 29883
pair with partial medial and lateral repairs. What RATIONALE: Code
procedure code is reported? 29883 is for an
arthroscopy, knee,
surgical; with menis-
cus repair (medial
AND lateral). Look
in the CPT Index
for Arthroscopy/Sur-
gical/Knee, which
gives a range of
codes for procedures
on the knee that
can be done with an
arthroscope.
7. The patient has developed plantar fasciitis, a 20550
painful condition in his heel and the sole of RATIONALE: An in-
his foot. He has tried using shoe inserts and jection of a single ten-
over-the-counter pain relievers, but is still having don sheath, or lig-
pain. His physician performs an injection of the ament, aponeurosis
tendon sheath on the bottom of his foot. What pro- (for example: plantar
cedure code is reported? fascia) is coded with
, AAPC Chapter 8: Musculoskeletal System Test Questions
a 20550. Look in the
CPT Index for Tendon
Sheath/Injection.
8. Julia tripped and fell down three stairs in her apart- 28470-TA
ment. X-rays show a fracture of the metatarsal bone RATIONALE: This is
of her left great toe, and the physician treats the a closed treatment
fracture with a special orthotic boot. What proce- because no surgery
dure code is reported? was performed. The
orthotic boot would
be coded separately
by the DME supplier.
Look in the CPT
Index for
Frac-
ture/Metatarsal/Closed
Treatment. Modifier
TA is appended to
indicate the left foot,
great toe.
9. Joe was in a motorcycle accident, and fractured his 27506-RT
right femur. The surgeon placed an intramedullary RATIONALE: The
locking implant (nail) through a buttock incision. surgery is an open
What procedure code is reported? treatment of a closed
femoral shaft fracture
with internal fixation
(intramedullary
implant), and is
reported 27506-RT.
Look in the CPT
Index for
Fracture/Femur/Per-
itrochanteric/In-
tramedullary Implant
Shaft. Report
modifier RT to
indicate right femur.
