Radiology Question for the Week of November 11, 2019

Question:

To report code 76881, what must be examined?

Answer:

This code is designed for a complete evaluation of a specific extremity (upper or lower) joint and requires examination of the following:

• The joint space (e.g., effusion)
• Peri-articular soft tissue structures around the joint such as muscles, tendons or other soft tissue structures)
• Other identifiable abnormalities
• Additional evaluations such as dynamic imaging or stress maneuvers as necessary

Permanently recorded images are also required along with a written report describing all the above requirements, or reasons why any could not be captured.