Soft tissue repair · Elbow

24930

Re-amputation of the upper arm through the humerus, performed to revise a prior amputation stump that has failed to heal or is anatomically unsuitable for prosthetic fitting.

Verified May 8, 2026 · 5 sources ↓

Medicare
$722.13
Total RVUs
21.62
Global, days
90
Region
Elbow
Drawn from CMSFastrvuEmednyAAPC

Documentation requirements

What must appear in the operative or office note to support the claim.

Source · Editorial brief grounded in 5 cited references ↓

  • Operative note must specify the level of humeral resection with measured bone length remaining post-procedure
  • Indications for re-amputation documented: non-healing wound, infection, prosthetic incompatibility, or other specific clinical rationale
  • Description of soft-tissue management — primary closure, flap technique, or planned open wound — with suture layers identified
  • Prior amputation history including original procedure date, level, and reason the existing stump is inadequate
  • If modifier 22 is appended, document operative time and the specific factors that made the procedure significantly more complex than typical

Applicable modifiers

Modifiers commonly billed with this code.

Source · AMA CPT modifier descriptors · CMS NCCI Policy Manual

What this code covers

Source · Editorial summary grounded in 5 cited references ↓

CPT 24930 covers surgical re-amputation through the humerus when an existing above-elbow amputation stump requires revision — typically because of non-healing wounds, infection, inadequate bone length, or soft-tissue geometry that prevents prosthetic fitting. The surgeon resects additional humeral length and reshapes or closes the soft-tissue envelope to create a functional, prosthesis-ready residual limb. This is a distinct revisional procedure, not routine stump care, and carries a 90-day global period.

Do not confuse 24930 with adjacent codes in the amputation family. 24925 is scar revision or secondary closure of a prior amputation stump — no bone resection. 24931 is re-amputation with implant placement. 24935 is stump elongation, the opposite intent. If the re-amputation is complicated by significant additional work — extensive debridement, flap reconstruction, or unusually difficult anatomy — modifier 22 applies, but requires supporting documentation of the increased operative time and complexity.

The 90-day global includes the day-before preoperative visit, the procedure day, and all routine post-op stump management through day 90. Prosthetic fitting consultations and unrelated E/M visits in that window need modifier 24. A staged or planned second procedure on the same stump within the global requires modifier 58; an unplanned return to the OR for a related complication uses modifier 78.

RVU & reimbursement

Component RVUs and Medicare national rate. Actual payment varies by GPCI locality.

Source · CMS Physician Fee Schedule, RVU26A · January 2026

Work RVU10.56
Practice expense RVU8.81
Malpractice RVU2.25
Total RVU21.62
Medicare national rate$722.13
Global period90 days

Payment by site of service

Medicare pays different rates by setting. HOPD typically pays substantially more than ASC for the same procedure.

Source · CMS OPPS Addendum B·ASC HCPCS payment rates·2026

SettingMedicare rate (national)
Office (PFS non-facility)
Procedure performed in physician's office
$722.13
HOPD (APC 5114)
Hospital outpatient department
$7,413.38
ASC (PI G2)
Ambulatory surgical center (freestanding)
$3,695.53

Common denial reasons

The recurring reasons claims for CPT 24930 get rejected.

Source · Editorial brief grounded in CMS NCCI edits, AAOS coding appeals, and cited references ↓

  • Missing or vague clinical indication — notes that say 'stump revision' without specifying why the existing amputation is inadequate
  • Upcoded as 24931 (with implant) without documentation of implant placement, or downcoded to 24925 when bone resection was actually performed
  • Global period conflict — routine post-op stump care billed separately within the 90-day window without modifier 24 or 79
  • Modifier 22 appended without documentation of increased operative time or specific complexity factors to support the upward adjustment
  • ICD-10 diagnosis mismatch — using a primary amputation diagnosis code rather than a complication or late-effect code appropriate for a revision procedure

Frequently asked questions

Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 5 cited references ↓

01What distinguishes 24930 from 24925?
24925 covers secondary closure or scar revision of a prior amputation stump — soft tissue only, no bone resection. 24930 requires actual re-amputation through the humerus, resecting additional bone length. If you cut bone, use 24930. If you only revise skin or scar, use 24925.
02When is 24931 correct instead of 24930?
Use 24931 when an implant — typically an osseointegration fixture or a stump-end device — is placed at the time of re-amputation. Without documented implant placement in the operative note, 24931 will not survive audit. Default to 24930 for standard re-amputation.
03Does the 90-day global include prosthetic fitting visits?
No. Prosthetic fitting and rehabilitation are not surgical follow-up. They can be billed separately. What the 90-day global does include is routine wound checks, dressing changes, and stitch removal. An E/M for a problem unrelated to the stump revision needs modifier 24.
04The patient needs a second OR visit within the global for wound dehiscence — which modifier applies?
Modifier 78 — unplanned return to the OR for a complication related to the re-amputation. If the second procedure is completely unrelated to the stump, use modifier 79 instead. Never invert these two.
05Can 24930 and 24925 be billed together on the same date?
No. If re-amputation is performed, scar revision or secondary closure is included in the work of 24930 and cannot be unbundled as 24925 on the same encounter.
06What ICD-10 codes typically support 24930?
Look to late-effect and complication codes: T87.0X (complications of reattached upper extremity), T87.4 (infection of amputation stump, upper extremity), T87.5 (necrosis of amputation stump), and M89.7- (major osseous defect). Avoid using the original traumatic amputation code as the primary diagnosis — that misrepresents a revision as an initial procedure.

Mira AI Scribe

Mira's AI scribe captures the specific clinical indication for re-amputation (wound breakdown, infection, bone prominence, prosthetic incompatibility), the measured humeral length remaining after resection, the soft-tissue closure technique, and operative time. That documentation prevents the two most common audit flags: a vague indication that reads like routine stump care rather than a distinct surgical re-amputation, and an unsupported modifier 22 claim lacking operative complexity detail.

See how Mira captures CPT 24930 documentation

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