CPT® Code 25425

The procedure described by CPT® Code 25425 involves the surgical repair of a bone defect located in either the radius or ulna, which is not attributed to a nonunion or malunion of a fracture. This repair is accomplished using an autograft, which is a graft taken from the patient's own body. The process begins with the preparation of the defect site, ensuring that it is suitable for the grafting procedure. An autograft is typically harvested from the iliac crest, a common donor site due to its accessibility and the quality of bone available. To obtain the graft, a skin incision is made over the iliac crest, and the underlying muscle is carefully stripped away to expose the bone surface. The surgeon then harvests either cortical bone, which is the dense outer surface of the bone, or cancellous bone, which is the spongy inner tissue. The harvested bone is then shaped and sized to fit the defect precisely, or in some cases, cancellous bone may be morcellized, meaning it is broken down into smaller pieces and packed into the defect. To ensure stability and proper healing of the graft, internal fixation methods, such as pins or wires, may be employed as necessary. Additionally, a compression plate and screws or other forms of internal fixation are utilized to stabilize the bone during the recovery process. This procedure is specifically coded as 25425 for repairs involving a defect in either the radius or ulna, while 25426 is designated for repairs involving defects in both bones.