About this policy
Most injuries to the chest wall do not result in long-term respiratory dysfunction and operative indications for chest wall injuries are rare. Recent studies have explored the option of internal fixation of rib fracture for treatment of complex rib fractures, including flail chest, open fracture, symptomatic nonunion, and thoracotomy for other indications. Flail chest is diagnosed when multiple, consecutive ribs are fractured in two or more places, creating an incompetent region of the chest wall. Internal fixation is indicated to stabilize and provide fixation for fractures, fusions, and osteotomies of the ribs. The modular RibLoc ® system consists of plates and screws for fractures, fusions, and osteotomies. The plates are pre-contoured to minimize bending that is done intra-operatively. Instrumentation is supplied with the implants to aid in the insertion of the plates and screws. All plates and screws are manufactured from titanium or titanium alloy.
Codes in this policy
Code numbers and each code’s status as the policy records it. CPT code descriptions are left out of this page, as are the passages that cite CPT codes; the official document has them.