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CPT® Code 73565

Official Description

Radiologic examination, knee; both knees, standing, anteroposterior

Common Language Description

A radiologic examination of the knee, specifically coded as CPT® Code 73565, involves imaging both knees while the patient is in a standing position, capturing anteroposterior (AP) views. This procedure utilizes X-ray technology, which employs indirect ionizing radiation to create images of the internal structures of the body. The X-ray process is effective on non-uniform materials, such as human tissue, due to the varying densities and compositions of the tissues involved. As X-rays pass through the body, some are absorbed while others are transmitted, resulting in a two-dimensional image that reveals the femur, tibia, fibula, patella, and surrounding soft tissues of the knee. The primary purpose of this examination is to investigate potential causes of knee-related symptoms such as pain, limping, or swelling. It is also instrumental in diagnosing various conditions, including fractures, dislocations, deformities, degenerative diseases, osteomyelitis, arthritis, foreign bodies, and cysts or tumors. Additionally, knee X-rays can be utilized to assess the alignment of lower extremity bones after fracture treatment. Standard imaging views for knee examinations include the anteroposterior (AP) view, lateral view (side), and posteroanterior (PA) view, with variations that may involve different flexion angles of the joint and consideration of weight-bearing versus non-weight-bearing positions. The specific code 73565 is designated for a weight-bearing X-ray examination of both knees, taken from front to back on a single film, distinguishing it from other codes that represent different views or configurations of knee imaging.

Procedure Details

1. Indications

The radiologic examination of the knee, specifically CPT® Code 73565, is indicated for various clinical scenarios. The following conditions or symptoms may warrant this procedure:

Joint Pain The examination is often performed to investigate the underlying causes of knee pain.
Limping This procedure may be indicated in patients who present with a limp, to assess any structural abnormalities.
Swelling Swelling in the knee joint can prompt the need for imaging to determine the cause.
Fractures The examination is crucial for identifying fractures in the knee area.
Dislocations It helps in diagnosing dislocations of the knee joint.
Deformities The procedure can be used to evaluate any deformities present in the knee structure.
Degenerative Disease Conditions such as osteoarthritis may be assessed through this imaging.
Osteomyelitis The examination can assist in diagnosing infections in the bone surrounding the knee.
Arthritis Various forms of arthritis affecting the knee can be evaluated with this procedure.
Foreign Body The presence of a foreign body in the knee joint can be detected through imaging.
Cysts or Tumors The examination is useful for identifying cysts or tumors in the knee region.
Post-Fracture Alignment It is also used to assess the alignment of lower extremity bones following fracture treatment.

2. Procedure

The procedure for CPT® Code 73565 involves several key steps to ensure accurate imaging of both knees in a standing position. The following outlines the procedural steps:

Patient Positioning The patient is positioned in a standing posture, which is essential for obtaining weight-bearing images of the knees. This positioning allows for a more accurate assessment of the knee joint under normal functional conditions.
Image Acquisition The radiologic technologist will utilize an X-ray machine to capture images of both knees from anteroposterior (AP) views. The X-ray beam is directed from the front to the back of the knees, ensuring that both joints are adequately visualized on a single film.
Quality Control After the images are taken, the technologist will review the radiographs to ensure that they meet the necessary quality standards. This includes checking for clarity, proper exposure, and that both knees are fully captured in the images.
Documentation The results of the examination will be documented, including any notable findings that may assist the physician in diagnosing the patient's condition. This documentation is crucial for accurate coding and billing purposes.

3. Post-Procedure

After the radiologic examination is completed, there are several considerations for post-procedure care. Patients may be advised to wait briefly while the images are reviewed for quality. If any issues arise with the images, the technologist may need to retake them. Generally, there are no specific restrictions or recovery protocols following a knee X-ray, as it is a non-invasive procedure. Patients can typically resume their normal activities immediately after the examination. However, it is essential for the physician to review the results and discuss any necessary follow-up actions or treatments based on the findings of the X-ray.

Code Data Insights

Short Descr	X-RAY EXAM OF KNEES
Medium Descr	RADIOLOGIC EXAM BOTH KNEES STANDING ANTEROPOST
Long Descr	Radiologic examination, knee; both knees, standing, anteroposterior
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)	0 - No payment adjustment rules for multiple procedures apply.
Bilateral Surgery (50)	2 - 150% payment adjustment 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	99 - Concept Does Not Apply
APC Status Indicator	STV-Packaged Codes
ASC Payment Indicator	Packaged service/item; no separate payment made.
Type of Service (TOS)	4 - Diagnostic Radiology
Berenson-Eggers TOS (BETOS)	I1B - Standard imaging - musculoskeletal
MUE	1
CCS Clinical Classification	226 - Other diagnostic radiology and related techniques

Modifier Assist

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.
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
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.
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
FY	X-ray taken using computed radiography technology/cassette-based imaging
LT	Left side (used to identify procedures performed on the left side of the body)
FX	X-ray taken using film
RT	Right side (used to identify procedures performed on the right side of the body)
GW	Service not related to the hospice patient's terminal condition
XU	Unusual non-overlapping service, the use of a service that is distinct because it does not overlap usual components of the main service
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.
GC	This service has been performed in part by a resident under the direction of a teaching physician
GA	Waiver of liability statement issued as required by payer policy, individual case
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
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.
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).
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).
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.)
AK	Non participating physician
AQ	Physician providing a service in an unlisted health professional shortage area (hpsa)
CC	Procedure code change (use 'cc' when the procedure code submitted was changed either for administrative reasons or because an incorrect code was filed)
CR	Catastrophe/disaster related
GP	Services delivered under an outpatient physical therapy plan of care
GV	Attending physician not employed or paid under arrangement by the patient's hospice provider
GY	Item or service statutorily excluded, does not meet the definition of any medicare benefit or, for non-medicare insurers, is not a contract benefit
GZ	Item or service expected to be denied as not reasonable and necessary
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
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
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
X1	Continuous/broad services: for reporting services by clinicians, who provide the principal care for a patient, with no planned endpoint of the relationship; services in this category represent comprehensive care, dealing with the entire scope of patient problems, either directly or in a care coordination role; reporting clinician service examples include, but are not limited to: primary care, and clinicians providing comprehensive care to patients in addition to specialty care
X2	Continuous/focused services: for reporting services by clinicians whose expertise is needed for the ongoing management of a chronic disease or a condition that needs to be managed and followed with no planned endpoint to the relationship; reporting clinician service examples include but are not limited to: a rheumatologist taking care of the patient's rheumatoid arthritis longitudinally but not providing general primary care services
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
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
XS	Separate structure, a service that is distinct because it was performed on a separate organ/structure

Chapter & Section Hierarchy

Personal Notes

Code History

Date	Action	Notes
1991-01-01	Added	First appearance in code book in 1991.

ICD-10-PCS Crosswalk

Code	Description

BQ03ZZZ	Plain Radiography of Right Femur
BQ04ZZZ	Plain Radiography of Left Femur
BQ070ZZ	Plain Radiography of Right Knee using High Osmolar Contrast
BQ071ZZ	Plain Radiography of Right Knee using Low Osmolar Contrast
BQ07YZZ	Plain Radiography of Right Knee using Other Contrast
BQ07ZZZ	Plain Radiography of Right Knee
BQ080ZZ	Plain Radiography of Left Knee using High Osmolar Contrast
BQ081ZZ	Plain Radiography of Left Knee using Low Osmolar Contrast
BQ08YZZ	Plain Radiography of Left Knee using Other Contrast
BQ08ZZZ	Plain Radiography of Left Knee
BQ0DZZZ	Plain Radiography of Right Lower Leg
BQ0FZZZ	Plain Radiography of Left Lower Leg
BQ0VZZZ	Plain Radiography of Right Patella
BQ0WZZZ	Plain Radiography of Left Patella
BQ13ZZZ	Fluoroscopy of Right Femur
BQ14ZZZ	Fluoroscopy of Left Femur
BQ170ZZ	Fluoroscopy of Right Knee using High Osmolar Contrast
BQ171ZZ	Fluoroscopy of Right Knee using Low Osmolar Contrast
BQ17YZZ	Fluoroscopy of Right Knee using Other Contrast
BQ17ZZZ	Fluoroscopy of Right Knee
BQ180ZZ	Fluoroscopy of Left Knee using High Osmolar Contrast
BQ181ZZ	Fluoroscopy of Left Knee using Low Osmolar Contrast
BQ18YZZ	Fluoroscopy of Left Knee using Other Contrast
BQ18ZZZ	Fluoroscopy of Left Knee
BQ1DZZZ	Fluoroscopy of Right Lower Leg
BQ1FZZZ	Fluoroscopy of Left Lower Leg
BQ1VZZZ	Fluoroscopy of Right Patella
BQ1WZZZ	Fluoroscopy of Left Patella
No matching codes found

NCCI Crosswalk

Code	Description

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.
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.)
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)
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
XS	Separate structure, a service that is distinct because it was performed on a separate organ/structure
XU	Unusual non-overlapping service, the use of a service that is distinct because it does not overlap usual components of the main service
No matching codes found

HCPCS Crosswalk

Code	Description

G0248	Demonstration, prior to initiation of home inr monitoring, for patient with either mechanical heart valve(s), chronic atrial fibrillation, or venous thromboembolism who meets medicare coverage criteria, under the direction of a physician; includes: face-to-face demonstration of use and care of the inr monitor, obtaining at least one blood sample, provision of instructions for reporting home inr test results, and documentation of patient's ability to perform testing and report results
G0249	Provision of test materials and equipment for home inr monitoring of patient with either mechanical heart valve(s), chronic atrial fibrillation, or venous thromboembolism who meets medicare coverage criteria; includes: provision of materials for use in the home and reporting of test results to physician; testing not occurring more frequently than once a week; testing materials, billing units of service include 4 tests
G0398	Home sleep study test (hst) with type ii portable monitor, unattended; minimum of 7 channels: eeg, eog, emg, ecg/heart rate, airflow, respiratory effort and oxygen saturation
G0399	Home sleep test (hst) with type iii portable monitor, unattended; minimum of 4 channels: 2 respiratory movement/airflow, 1 ecg/heart rate and 1 oxygen saturation
G0400	Home sleep test (hst) with type iv portable monitor, unattended; minimum of 3 channels
G2066	Interrogation device evaluation(s), (remote) up to 30 days; implantable cardiovascular physiologic monitor system, implantable loop recorder system, or subcutaneous cardiac rhythm monitor system, remote data acquisition(s), receipt of transmissions and technician review, technical support and distribution of results [deleted]
J2760	Injection, phentolamine mesylate, up to 5 mg
No matching codes found

ICD-9 Crosswalk

Code	Description

170.7	Malignant neoplasm of long bones of lower limb
170.8	Malignant neoplasm of short bones of lower limb
196.1	Secondary and unspecified malignant neoplasm of intrathoracic lymph nodes
213.7	Benign neoplasm of long bones of lower limb
213.8	Benign neoplasm of short bones of lower limb
274.00	Gouty arthropathy, unspecified
274.01	Acute gouty arthropathy
289.1	Chronic lymphadenitis
457.2	Lymphangitis
457.8	Other noninfectious disorders of lymphatic channels
511.8	PLEURAL EFFUS NEC NOT TB [deleted]
511.9	Unspecified pleural effusion
518.89	Other diseases of lung, not elsewhere classified
682.6	Cellulitis and abscess of leg, except foot
711.06	Pyogenic arthritis, lower leg
711.86	Arthropathy associated with other infectious and parasitic diseases, lower leg
712.36	Chondrocalcinosis, unspecified, lower leg
712.86	Other specified crystal arthropathies, lower leg
715.15	Osteoarthrosis, localized, primary, pelvic region and thigh
715.16	Osteoarthrosis, localized, primary, lower leg
715.36	Osteoarthrosis, localized, not specified whether primary or secondary, lower leg
715.95	Osteoarthrosis, unspecified whether generalized or localized, pelvic region and thigh
715.96	Osteoarthrosis, unspecified whether generalized or localized, lower leg
716.06	Kaschin-Beck disease, lower leg
716.16	Traumatic arthropathy, lower leg
716.36	Climacteric arthritis, lower leg
716.96	Arthropathy, unspecified, lower leg
717.3	Other and unspecified derangement of medial meniscus
717.40	Derangement of lateral meniscus, unspecified
717.81	Old disruption of lateral collateral ligament
717.82	Old disruption of medial collateral ligament
717.83	Old disruption of anterior cruciate ligament
717.84	Old disruption of posterior cruciate ligament
717.9	Unspecified internal derangement of knee
718.46	Contracture of joint, lower leg
718.56	Ankylosis of joint, lower leg
719.06	Effusion of joint, lower leg
719.26	Villonodular synovitis, lower leg
719.45	Pain in joint, pelvic region and thigh
719.46	Pain in joint, lower leg
726.64	Patellar tendinitis
729.5	Pain in limb
730.06	Acute osteomyelitis, lower leg
730.86	Other infections involving bone in diseases classified elsewhere, lower leg
733.92	Chondromalacia
755.64	Congenital deformity of knee (joint)
822.0	Closed fracture of patella
822.1	Open fracture of patella
836.0	Tear of medial cartilage or meniscus of knee, current
836.1	Tear of lateral cartilage or meniscus of knee, current
836.3	Dislocation of patella, closed
836.4	Dislocation of patella, open
844.2	Sprain of cruciate ligament of knee
908.2	Late effect of internal injury to other internal organs
908.6	Late effect of certain complications of trauma
924.11	Contusion of knee
928.11	Crushing injury of knee
959.7	Knee, leg, ankle, and foot injury
V15.51	Personal history of traumatic fracture
V43.65	Knee joint replacement
V54.81	Aftercare following joint replacement
No matching codes found