Imaging · Wrist

Radiologic examination of the wrist, complete, requiring a minimum of three views

Verified May 8, 2026 · 4 sources ↓

Medicare: $42.75
Total RVUs: 1.28
Global, days
Region: Wrist

Drawn from CMSAAPC

Documentation requirements

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

Source · Editorial brief grounded in 4 cited references ↓

Record the exact number of views taken and name each projection (e.g., PA, lateral, oblique, ulnar deviation)
Document the clinical indication driving the study — fracture suspicion, TFCC pathology, post-reduction check, or pain evaluation
Specify laterality (left, right, or bilateral) in the order and the report
If billing professional component only (modifier 26), document that the interpreting physician reviewed images from an outside facility
For IDTF billing, confirm supervising physician credentials and technologist licensure are on file

Applicable modifiers

Modifiers commonly billed with this code.

Source · AMA CPT modifier descriptors · CMS NCCI Policy Manual

26 Professional component 52 Reduced services 59 Distinct service 76 Repeat, same physician 77 Repeat, another physician LT Left side RT Right side

What this code covers

Source · Editorial summary grounded in 4 cited references ↓

73110 covers a complete wrist X-ray series of at least three views — posteroanterior, lateral, oblique, and any additional projections taken in the same session (e.g., ulnar deviation, scaphoid views). The code is view-count agnostic above the three-view floor: a five-view series still bills as a single 73110, not 73110 plus 73100.

CCI bundles 73100 (two-view wrist) into 73110. If you bill both for the same wrist in the same session, payers will pay only 73110 and deny 73100. There is no modifier override that fixes this — separate anatomic area and separate session are the only permissible unbundling conditions, and neither applies here.

In IDTF settings, 73110 requires supervision by a board-certified radiologist or orthopedic surgeon; the technical component must be performed by a state-licensed general radiographer, medical physicist, or ARRT-credentialed R.T.(R). Append modifier 26 when billing the professional component only (e.g., the surgeon reads films taken at a separate facility). Use LT or RT to lateralize; use 76 or 77 for a repeat study on the same date by the same or different physician, respectively.

RVU & reimbursement

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

Source · CMS Physician Fee Schedule, RVU26A · January 2026

Work RVU	0.17
Practice expense RVU	1.09
Malpractice RVU	0.02
Total RVU	1.28
Medicare national rate	$42.75
Global period	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	$42.75
HOPD (APC 5521) Hospital outpatient department	$88.91

Common denial reasons

The recurring reasons claims for CPT 73110 get rejected.

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

73100 billed same session same wrist — CCI bundles it into 73110; 73100 will deny
Missing laterality modifier when bilateral wrists are imaged on the same date
Fewer than three views documented but 73110 billed instead of 73100
Professional component billed without modifier 26 when physician did not own the imaging equipment
Repeat same-day study submitted without modifier 76 or 77, triggering duplicate-claim edit

Frequently asked questions

Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 4 cited references ↓

01Can I bill 73110 and 73100 together for the same wrist on the same day?

No. CCI bundles 73100 into 73110. If three or more views were taken, bill only 73110. There is no modifier that overrides this edit for the same wrist in the same session.

02Does 73110 have a view-count ceiling — do I need a different code for five or more views?

No ceiling exists. The code description sets a floor of three views. Four views, five views, or more all bill as a single 73110. Do not add 73100 for the extra views.

03Which modifier do I use when my orthopedic surgeon reads wrist films taken at a hospital?

Append modifier 26 to 73110 when billing the professional component only. The hospital or imaging center bills the technical component separately.

04How do I bill pre-reduction and post-reduction wrist X-rays taken the same day in the same office?

Bill 73110 for the initial series. For the post-reduction series, append modifier 76 (same physician repeating the study) or 77 (different physician). Document the clinical necessity for each series separately.

05What are the IDTF supervision requirements for 73110?

The supervising physician must be a board-certified radiologist or orthopedic surgeon. The technologist must hold a state license as a general radiographer or medical physicist, or be ARRT-credentialed as R.T.(R).

06When is modifier 52 appropriate with 73110?

Use modifier 52 if the study was intentionally limited — for example, only two views were clinically necessary and taken. Do not use 52 simply because the patient could not tolerate all standard projections without documentation supporting the reduced service.

Sources & references

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

Mira AI Scribe

Mira's AI scribe captures the number and names of wrist projections taken (PA, lateral, oblique, ulnar deviation, etc.) directly from dictation, along with the clinical indication and laterality. That prevents the two most common audit flags: an operative note that lists fewer than three views while 73110 is billed, and a missing laterality modifier when both wrists are imaged.

See how Mira captures CPT 73110 documentation