Treatment of slipped femoral capital epiphysis using skeletal traction alone, without any reduction maneuver to realign the displaced growth plate.

Verified May 8, 2026 · 7 sources ↓

Medicare: $620.92
Total RVUs: 18.59
Global, days: 90
Region: Hip

Drawn from CMSAAPCAcgmeAoassnFindacode

Documentation requirements

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

Source · Editorial brief grounded in 7 cited references ↓

Confirm that traction was applied and no reduction maneuver was performed — operative note must state this explicitly
Document the laterality of the affected hip (left, right, or bilateral) to support LT/RT/50 modifier use
Record the severity and stability classification of the slip (stable vs. unstable, degree of displacement)
Include patient age and growth plate status; SCFE is a pediatric diagnosis and payers may scrutinize adult cases
Document the rationale for choosing traction without reduction over in-situ pinning or open treatment
Specify fluoroscopic or imaging confirmation used intraoperatively if applicable, noting it separately if billed

Applicable modifiers

Modifiers commonly billed with this code.

Source · AMA CPT modifier descriptors · CMS NCCI Policy Manual

22 Increased complexity 24 Unrelated E/M during global 25 Significant separate E/M 50 Bilateral procedure 51 Multiple procedures 52 Reduced services 57 Decision for surgery 58 Staged or related 59 Distinct service 73 Discontinued pre-anesthesia 74 Discontinued post-anesthesia 76 Repeat, same physician 77 Repeat, another physician 78 Unplanned return — related 79 Unrelated during global LT Left side RT Right side

What this code covers

Source · Editorial summary grounded in 7 cited references ↓

CPT 27175 covers traction-based management of a slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) where no reduction is attempted. The surgeon applies traction to the affected extremity to stabilize the femoral head without manipulating the slip back into alignment. This approach is typically selected for stable, chronic, or mild slips where the risk of osteonecrosis from forceful reduction outweighs potential positional benefit.

The code sits in the 27175–27181 SCFE family. The semicolon structure is critical: 27175 is the parent code — traction, without reduction. 27176 adds in-situ pinning. 27177 adds open treatment with pinning or bone graft. If your operative note documents traction applied and no reduction attempt, 27175 is correct. If any pinning was placed in-situ, you're in 27176 territory regardless of whether traction was also used.

The 90-day global period applies. All routine follow-up visits, cast or traction checks, and wound care through day 90 are bundled. Separate E/M services within the global window require modifier 24 (unrelated) or modifier 79 for an unrelated procedure. Because SCFE is almost exclusively a pediatric condition, expect to bill against pediatric ICD-10 diagnoses; payers may flag adult-age patients and request medical necessity documentation.

RVU & reimbursement

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

Source · CMS Physician Fee Schedule, RVU26A · January 2026

Work RVU	9.15
Practice expense RVU	7.49
Malpractice RVU	1.95
Total RVU	18.59
Medicare national rate	$620.92
Global period	90 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

Setting	Medicare rate (national)
Office (PFS non-facility) Procedure performed in physician's office	$620.92
HOPD (APC 5113) Hospital outpatient department	$3,342.87
ASC (PI G2) Ambulatory surgical center (freestanding)	$1,644.87

Common denial reasons

The recurring reasons claims for CPT 27175 get rejected.

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

Wrong code selected — 27176 (in-situ pinning) or 27177 (open treatment) chosen when only traction was performed, or vice versa
ICD-10 diagnosis mismatch — using adult or traumatic fracture codes rather than the appropriate SCFE-specific diagnosis codes
Missing documentation that reduction was NOT performed; auditors cannot verify 27175 vs. 27176 without explicit operative note language
Global period conflict — post-op E/M services billed without modifier 24 or 25 within the 90-day window
Bilateral billing without modifier 50 or separate LT/RT line items when both hips are treated in the same encounter

Frequently asked questions

Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 7 cited references ↓

01What is the key difference between 27175 and 27176?

27175 is traction only, with no reduction. 27176 adds in-situ pinning. If any hardware was placed — even a single pin — bill 27176, not 27175. The operative note must clearly document the absence of pinning and reduction for 27175 to hold up to audit.

02Can 27175 and 27176 be billed together on the same date of service?

No. They describe mutually exclusive approaches to the same condition. Bill the code that matches exactly what was performed. If both traction and in-situ pinning were done in the same encounter, 27176 captures that work.

03Does the 90-day global period apply to 27175?

Yes. The global is 090 days. Routine post-op traction checks, follow-up imaging reviews, and standard wound care are all bundled. Bill modifier 24 for unrelated E/M visits and modifier 79 for unrelated procedures within the global window.

04How do you bill for bilateral SCFE treated in the same session?

Use modifier 50 on a single line, or bill LT and RT on separate lines depending on payer preference. Some commercial payers require RT/LT rather than 50 — verify contract terms before submitting.

05What ICD-10 codes pair with 27175?

SCFE-specific ICD-10 codes under M93.0x (slipped upper femoral epiphysis, nontraumatic) are the standard pairing. Specify laterality and acuity (stable vs. unstable). Using traumatic fracture codes or adult degenerative hip codes will trigger a mismatch denial.

06Is fluoroscopic guidance separately billable with 27175?

It depends on payer policy and whether imaging was separately documented as a distinct service. Review NCCI edits and your payer contract before billing fluoroscopy separately alongside 27175.

Sources & references

Editorial content was developed using the following public sources. Last verified May 8, 2026.

Mira AI Scribe

Mira's AI scribe captures whether traction was applied, whether any reduction was attempted, laterality, the stability classification of the slip, patient age, and the surgeon's stated rationale for traction-only management. This prevents the single most common audit flag for 27175: an operative note that doesn't explicitly state 'no reduction performed,' which leaves coders unable to distinguish 27175 from 27176 and triggers downcoding or denial.

See how Mira captures CPT 27175 documentation