Regarded as one of most common knee injuries, torn meniscus refers to a tear in the cartilage of the knee. The meniscus is a piece of cartilage that provides a cushion between your femur (thighbone) and tibia (shinbone). A tear in the meniscus occurs when any activity causes forceful twisting or rotation of the knee joint, especially when exerting full weight on the joint. Typically, a torn meniscus is diagnosed through a physical exam wherein the orthopedists may move the knees and legs toward different positions. This also helps to diagnose the extent of movement and correctly pinpoint the exact causes of symptoms. Untreated torn meniscus can cause pain, swelling and stiffness of the knee joint. In certain cases, patients may also feel a block to knee motion and experience trouble in extending their knee fully. Orthopedists or other specialists diagnosing and treating torn meniscus can rely on medical billing services for error-free medical coding and documentation.
Reports from Boston Children’s Hospital (2019 statistics) show that more than 500,000 meniscal tears take place in the United States each year. Performing activities that involve aggressive twisting and pivoting of the knee can put a person at the risk of a torn meniscus. In fact, the risk is high for athletes who participate in contact sports such as football, or activities that involve pivoting, such as tennis or basketball. However, in older adults, degenerative changes of the knee can lead to this condition. Severe pain (especially when twisting or rotating your knee), swelling or stiffness, a popping sensation and difficulty straightening the knee fully are some of the common symptoms of this condition.
ICD-10 Diagnosis Codes for Torn Meniscus
ICD-10 code S83.2 denotes Tear of meniscus. S83.2 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code that can be used on the medical claim to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes. Other related ICD-10 codes for Tear of meniscus include –
- S83.2 Tear of meniscus, current injury
- S83.20 Tear of unspecified meniscus, current injury
- S83.200 Bucket-handle tear of unspecified meniscus, current injury, right knee
- S83.200A …… initial encounter
- S83.200D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.200S …… sequela
- S83.201 Bucket-handle tear of unspecified meniscus, current injury, left knee
- S83.201A …… initial encounter
- S83.201D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.201S …… sequela
- S83.202 Bucket-handle tear of unspecified meniscus, current injury, unspecified knee
- S83.202A …… initial encounter
- S83.202D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.202S …… sequela
- S83.203 Other tear of unspecified meniscus, current injury, right knee
- S83.203A …… initial encounter
- S83.203D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.203S …… sequela
- S83.204 Other tear of unspecified meniscus, current injury, left knee
- S83.204A …… initial encounter
- S83.204D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.204S …… sequela
- S83.205 Other tear of unspecified meniscus, current injury, unspecified knee
- S83.205A …… initial encounter
- S83.205D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.205S …… sequela
- S83.206 Unspecified tear of unspecified meniscus, current injury, right knee
- S83.206A …… initial encounter
- S83.206D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.206S …… sequela
- S83.207 Unspecified tear of unspecified meniscus, current injury, left knee
- S83.207A …… initial encounter
- S83.207D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.207S …… sequela
- S83.209 Unspecified tear of unspecified meniscus, current injury, unspecified knee
- S83.209A …… initial encounter
- S83.209D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.209S …… sequela
- S83.21 Bucket-handle tear of medial meniscus, current injury
- S83.211 Bucket-handle tear of medial meniscus, current injury, right knee
- S83.211A …… initial encounter
- S83.211D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.211S …… sequela
- S83.212 Bucket-handle tear of medial meniscus, current injury, left knee
- S83.212A …… initial encounter
- S83.212D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.212S …… sequela
- S83.219 Bucket-handle tear of medial meniscus, current injury, unspecified knee
- S83.219A …… initial encounter
- S83.219D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.219S …… sequela
- S83.22 Peripheral tear of medial meniscus, current injury
- S83.221 Peripheral tear of medial meniscus, current injury, right knee
- S83.221A …… initial encounter
- S83.221D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.221S …… sequela
- S83.222 Peripheral tear of medial meniscus, current injury, left knee
- S83.222A …… initial encounter
- S83.222D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.222S …… sequela
- S83.229 Peripheral tear of medial meniscus, current injury, unspecified knee
- S83.229A …… initial encounter
- S83.229D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.229S …… sequela
- S83.23 Complex tear of medial meniscus, current injury
- S83.231 Complex tear of medial meniscus, current injury, right knee
- S83.231A …… initial encounter
- S83.231D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.231S …… sequela
- S83.232 Complex tear of medial meniscus, current injury, left knee
- S83.232A …… initial encounter
- S83.232D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.232S …… sequela
- S83.239 Complex tear of medial meniscus, current injury, unspecified knee
- S83.239A …… initial encounter
- S83.239D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.239S …… sequela
- S83.24 Other tear of medial meniscus, current injury
- S83.241 Other tear of medial meniscus, current injury, right knee
- S83.241A …… initial encounter
- S83.241D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.241S …… sequela
- S83.242 Other tear of medial meniscus, current injury, left knee
- S83.242A …… initial encounter
- S83.242D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.242S …… sequela
- S83.249 Other tear of medial meniscus, current injury, unspecified knee
- S83.249A …… initial encounter
- S83.249D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.249S …… sequela
- S83.25 Bucket-handle tear of lateral meniscus, current injury
- S83.251 Bucket-handle tear of lateral meniscus, current injury, right knee
- S83.251A …… initial encounter
- S83.251D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.251S …… sequela
- S83.252 Bucket-handle tear of lateral meniscus, current injury, left knee
- S83.252A …… initial encounter
- S83.252D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.252S …… sequela
- S83.259 Bucket-handle tear of lateral meniscus, current injury, unspecified knee
- S83.259A …… initial encounter
- S83.259D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.259S …… sequela
- S83.26 Peripheral tear of lateral meniscus, current injury
- S83.261 Peripheral tear of lateral meniscus, current injury, right knee
- S83.261A …… initial encounter
- S83.261D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.261S …… sequela
- S83.262 Peripheral tear of lateral meniscus, current injury, left knee
- S83.262A …… initial encounter
- S83.262D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.262S …… sequela
- S83.269 Peripheral tear of lateral meniscus, current injury, unspecified knee
- S83.269A …… initial encounter
- S83.269D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.269S …… sequela
- S83.27 Complex tear of lateral meniscus, current injury
- S83.271 Complex tear of lateral meniscus, current injury, right knee
- S83.271A …… initial encounter
- S83.271D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.271S …… sequela
- S83.272 Complex tear of lateral meniscus, current injury, left knee
- S83.272A …… initial encounter
- S83.272D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.272S …… sequela
- S83.279 Complex tear of lateral meniscus, current injury, unspecified knee
- S83.279A …… initial encounter
- S83.279D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.279S …… sequela
- S83.28 Other tear of lateral meniscus, current injury
- S83.281 Other tear of lateral meniscus, current injury, right knee
- S83.281A …… initial encounter
- S83.281D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.281S …… sequela
- S83.282 Other tear of lateral meniscus, current injury, left knee
- S83.282A …… initial encounter
- S83.282D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.282S …… sequela
- S83.289 Other tear of lateral meniscus, current injury, unspecified knee
- S83.289A …… initial encounter
- S83.289D …… subsequent encounter
- S83.289S …… sequel
Treatment Procedures for Torn Meniscus
Treatment for a torn meniscus may vary from person to person and depends on the type, size and location of the tear. A combination of rest, physical therapy, over the counter medications and surgical procedures such as arthroscopy form part of the treatment. Patients are normally instructed to take rest and avoid activities that twist, rotate or pivot the knee and aggravate pain. For persons with advanced stages of the condition, orthopedists may recommend a meniscus transplant or knee replacement surgery. Here are the CPT codes that can be used with a S83.2 diagnosis code for Torn Meniscus –
CPT Codes
- 27332 – Arthrotomy, with excision of semilunar cartilage (meniscectomy) knee
- 27333 – Arthrotomy, with excision of semilunar cartilage (meniscectomy) knee
- 29868 – Arthroscopy, knee, surgical; meniscal transplantation (includes arthrotomy for meniscal insertion), medial or lateral
- 29880 – Arthroscopy, knee, surgical; with meniscectomy (medial AND lateral, including any meniscal shaving) including debridement/shaving of articular cartilage (chondroplasty), same or separate compartment(s), when performed
- 29881 – Arthroscopy, knee, surgical; with meniscectomy (medial OR lateral, including any meniscal shaving) including debridement/shaving of articular cartilage (chondroplasty), same or separate compartment(s), when performed
- 29882 – Arthroscopy, knee, surgical; with meniscus repair (medial OR lateral)
- 29883 – Arthroscopy, knee, surgical; with meniscus repair (medial AND lateral)
HCPCS Code
- G0428 – Collagen meniscus implant procedure for filling meniscal defects (e.g., CMI, collagen scaffold, Menaflex)
Orthopedics medical billing and coding can be challenging due to the diverse requirements the physician or medical coder must keep in mind when reporting a particular diagnosis or procedure code. Knowing the highly specific medical codes related to repairing a torn meniscus is critical for providers. Partnering with an experienced Medical Billing Company is a great option for physicians to ensure accurate and timely claim submissions.
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