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Computed tomography (CT) of the lower extremity, as described by CPT® Code 73700, is a diagnostic imaging procedure that provides detailed visualization of the tissues and bone structure of the leg. This technique employs multiple, narrow X-ray beams that are directed around a single rotational axis, capturing a series of two-dimensional (2D) images from various angles. The absence of contrast material in this procedure means that the images are generated solely based on the natural density differences of the tissues within the leg. The CT scanner processes the collected data through advanced computer software, resulting in several 2D slices that represent thin cross-sections of the targeted area. These individual slices can be stacked to create three-dimensional models of the leg, offering a comprehensive view of its internal structures. During the procedure, the patient is positioned on a table that slides into the CT scanner, where the imaging takes place. The physician subsequently reviews the CT scan to identify any abnormalities, such as tumors, abscesses, or masses, and assesses the condition of the bones for signs of degenerative changes, fractures, or injuries resulting from trauma. The findings are documented in a written interpretation provided by the physician, which is essential for guiding further clinical decisions and management of the patient's condition.
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The indications for performing a computed tomography (CT) scan of the lower extremity without contrast material, as specified by CPT® Code 73700, include the following:
The procedure for conducting a computed tomography (CT) scan of the lower extremity without contrast material involves several key steps:
Post-procedure care following a computed tomography (CT) scan of the lower extremity without contrast material is generally minimal, as the procedure is non-invasive and does not involve the use of contrast agents. Patients can typically resume their normal activities immediately after the scan. However, they may be advised to wait for the physician's interpretation of the results before making any decisions regarding further treatment or follow-up. It is important for patients to discuss any concerns or symptoms they may have with their healthcare provider during the follow-up appointment.
| Short Descr | CT LOWER EXTREMITY W/O DYE | Medium Descr | CT LOWER EXTREMITY W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | Long Descr | Computed tomography, lower extremity; without contrast material | Status Code | Active Code | Global Days | XXX - Global Concept Does Not Apply | PC/TC Indicator (26, TC) | 1 - Diagnostic Tests for Radiology Services | Multiple Procedures (51) | 4 - Special payment adjustment rules on the technical component (TC) of multiple diagnostic imaging procedures apply... | Bilateral Surgery (50) | 3 - The usual payment adjustment for bilateral procedures does not apply. | Physician Supervisions | 09 - Concept does not apply. | Assistant Surgeon (80, 82) | 0 - Payment restriction for assistants at surgery applies to this procedure... | Co-Surgeons (62) | 0 - Co-surgeons not permitted for this procedure. | Team Surgery (66) | 0 - Team surgeons not permitted for this procedure. | Diagnostic Imaging Family | 88 - | APC Status Indicator | Codes That May Be Paid Through a Composite APC | ASC Payment Indicator | Radiology service paid separately when provided integral to a surgical procedure on ASC list; payment based on OPPS relative payment weight. | Type of Service (TOS) | 4 - Diagnostic Radiology | Berenson-Eggers TOS (BETOS) | I2B - Advanced imaging - CAT/CT/CTA: other | MUE | 2 | CCS Clinical Classification | 180 - Other CT scan |
This is a primary code that can be used with these additional add-on codes.
| 0722T | Add On Code MPFS Status: Carrier Priced APC S Quantitative computed tomography (CT) tissue characterization, including interpretation and report, obtained with concurrent CT examination of any structure contained in the concurrently acquired diagnostic imaging dataset (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure) |
| 26 | Professional component: certain procedures are a combination of a physician or other qualified health care professional component and a technical component. when the physician or other qualified health care professional component is reported separately, the service may be identified by adding modifier 26 to the usual procedure number. | LT | Left side (used to identify procedures performed on the left side of the body) | RT | Right side (used to identify procedures performed on the right side of the body) | TC | Technical component; under certain circumstances, a charge may be made for the technical component alone; under those circumstances the technical component charge is identified by adding modifier 'tc' to the usual procedure number; technical component charges are institutional charges and not billed separately by physicians; however, portable x-ray suppliers only bill for technical component and should utilize modifier tc; the charge data from portable x-ray suppliers will then be used to build customary and prevailing profiles | X5 | Diagnostic services requested by another clinician: for reporting services by a clinician who furnishes care to the patient only as requested by another clinician or subsequent and related services requested by another clinician; this modifier is reported for patient relationships that may not be adequately captured by the above alternative categories; reporting clinician service examples include but are not limited to, the radiologist's interpretation of an imaging study requested by another clinician | ME | The order for this service adheres to appropriate use criteria in the clinical decision support mechanism consulted by the ordering professional | 51 | Multiple procedures: when multiple procedures, other than e/m services, physical medicine and rehabilitation services or provision of supplies (eg, vaccines), are performed at the same session by the same individual, the primary procedure or service may be reported as listed. the additional procedure(s) or service(s) may be identified by appending modifier 51 to the additional procedure or service code(s). note: this modifier should not be appended to designated "add-on" codes (see appendix d). | MH | Unknown if ordering professional consulted a clinical decision support mechanism for this service, related information was not provided to the furnishing professional or provider | 50 | Bilateral procedure: unless otherwise identified in the listings, bilateral procedures that are performed at the same session, should be identified by adding modifier 50 to the appropriate 5 digit code. note: this modifier should not be appended to designated "add-on" codes (see appendix d). | MG | The order for this service does not have applicable appropriate use criteria in the qualified clinical decision support mechanism consulted by the ordering professional | GC | This service has been performed in part by a resident under the direction of a teaching physician | Q6 | Service furnished under a fee-for-time compensation arrangement by a substitute physician or by a substitute physical therapist furnishing outpatient physical therapy services in a health professional shortage area, a medically underserved area, or a rural area | 59 | Distinct procedural service: under certain circumstances, it may be necessary to indicate that a procedure or service was distinct or independent from other non-e/m services performed on the same day. modifier 59 is used to identify procedures/services, other than e/m services, that are not normally reported together, but are appropriate under the circumstances. documentation must support a different session, different procedure or surgery, different site or organ system, separate incision/excision, separate lesion, or separate injury (or area of injury in extensive injuries) not ordinarily encountered or performed on the same day by the same individual. however, when another already established modifier is appropriate it should be used rather than modifier 59. only if no more descriptive modifier is available, and the use of modifier 59 best explains the circumstances, should modifier 59 be used. note: modifier 59 should not be appended to an e/m service. to report a separate and distinct e/m service with a non-e/m service performed on the same date, see modifier 25. | X4 | Episodic/focused services: for reporting services by clinicians who provide focused care on particular types of treatment limited to a defined period and circumstance; the patient has a problem, acute or chronic, that will be treated with surgery, radiation, or some other type of generally time-limited intervention; reporting clinician service examples include but are not limited to, the orthopedic surgeon performing a knee replacement and seeing the patient through the postoperative period | 76 | Repeat procedure or service by same physician or other qualified health care professional: it may be necessary to indicate that a procedure or service was repeated by the same physician or other qualified health care professional subsequent to the original procedure or service. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 76 to the repeated procedure or service. note: this modifier should not be appended to an e/m service. | CT | Computed tomography services furnished using equipment that does not meet each of the attributes of the national electrical manufacturers association (nema) xr-29-2013 standard | GA | Waiver of liability statement issued as required by payer policy, individual case | KX | Requirements specified in the medical policy have been met | 77 | Repeat procedure by another physician or other qualified health care professional: it may be necessary to indicate that a basic procedure or service was repeated by another physician or other qualified health care professional subsequent to the original procedure or service. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 77 to the repeated procedure or service. note: this modifier should not be appended to an e/m service. | MA | Ordering professional is not required to consult a clinical decision support mechanism due to service being rendered to a patient with a suspected or confirmed emergency medical condition | 52 | Reduced services: under certain circumstances a service or procedure is partially reduced or eliminated at the discretion of the physician or other qualified health care professional. under these circumstances the service provided can be identified by its usual procedure number and the addition of modifier 52, signifying that the service is reduced. this provides a means of reporting reduced services without disturbing the identification of the basic service. note: for hospital outpatient reporting of a previously scheduled procedure/service that is partially reduced or cancelled as a result of extenuating circumstances or those that threaten the well-being of the patient prior to or after administration of anesthesia, see modifiers 73 and 74 (see modifiers approved for asc hospital outpatient use). | MF | The order for this service does not adhere to the appropriate use criteria in the clinical decision support mechanism consulted by the ordering professional | Ordering professional consulted a qualified clinical decision support mechanism for this service and the related data was provided to the furnishing professional | XS | Separate structure, a service that is distinct because it was performed on a separate organ/structure | 53 | Discontinued procedure: under certain circumstances, the physician or other qualified health care professional may elect to terminate a surgical or diagnostic procedure. due to extenuating circumstances or those that threaten the well being of the patient, it may be necessary to indicate that a surgical or diagnostic procedure was started but discontinued. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 53 to the code reported by the individual for the discontinued procedure. note: this modifier is not used to report the elective cancellation of a procedure prior to the patient's anesthesia induction and/or surgical preparation in the operating suite. for outpatient hospital/ambulatory surgery center (asc) reporting of a previously scheduled procedure/service that is partially reduced or cancelled as a result of extenuating circumstances or those that threaten the well being of the patient prior to or after administration of anesthesia, see modifiers 73 and 74 (see modifiers approved for asc hospital outpatient use). | 79 | Unrelated procedure or service by the same physician or other qualified health care professional during the postoperative period: the individual may need to indicate that the performance of a procedure or service during the postoperative period was unrelated to the original procedure. this circumstance may be reported by using modifier 79. (for repeat procedures on the same day, see modifier 76.) | 99 | Multiple modifiers: under certain circumstances 2 or more modifiers may be necessary to completely delineate a service. in such situations modifier 99 should be added to the basic procedure, and other applicable modifiers may be listed as part of the description of the service. | AQ | Physician providing a service in an unlisted health professional shortage area (hpsa) | CR | Catastrophe/disaster related | ER | Items and services furnished by a provider-based, off-campus emergency department | FY | X-ray taken using computed radiography technology/cassette-based imaging | GQ | Via asynchronous telecommunications system | GV | Attending physician not employed or paid under arrangement by the patient's hospice provider | GW | Service not related to the hospice patient's terminal condition | GZ | Item or service expected to be denied as not reasonable and necessary | KT | Beneficiary resides in a competitive bidding area and travels outside that competitive bidding area and receives a competitive bid item | MB | Ordering professional is not required to consult a clinical decision support mechanism due to the significant hardship exception of insufficient internet access | MC | Ordering professional is not required to consult a clinical decision support mechanism due to the significant hardship exception of electronic health record or clinical decision support mechanism vendor issues | PD | Diagnostic or related non diagnostic item or service provided in a wholly owned or operated entity to a patient who is admitted as an inpatient within 3 days | Q1 | Routine clinical service provided in a clinical research study that is in an approved clinical research study | Q5 | Service furnished under a reciprocal billing arrangement by a substitute physician or by a substitute physical therapist furnishing outpatient physical therapy services in a health professional shortage area, a medically underserved area, or a rural area | T5 | Right foot, great toe | T7 | Right foot, third digit | TA | Left foot, great toe | TM | Individualized education program (iep) | TR | School-based individualized education program (iep) services provided outside the public school district responsible for the student | U2 | Medicaid level of care 2, as defined by each state | U6 | Medicaid level of care 6, as defined by each state | XE | Separate encounter, a service that is distinct because it occurred during a separate encounter | XP | Separate practitioner, a service that is distinct because it was performed by a different practitioner | XU | Unusual non-overlapping service, the use of a service that is distinct because it does not overlap usual components of the main service |
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| 2003-01-01 | Changed | Code description changed. |
| Pre-1990 | Added | Code added. |
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