Are Superior Labrum Tears coded to CPT 29806 or 29807?

Question:

Would 29807 or 29806 be reported for a repair of the superior anterior labrum without posterior extension? There is some confusion regarding the term "Superior" as being a qualifying factor pointing towards 29807 vs. 29806. Does the location of the tear being "Superior" qualify the tear to be reported with 29807 vs. 29806 regardless of whether both the anterior and posterior portions of the superior labrum were torn and repaired? The snippet of the operative report in question below documents only the anterior portion of the superior labrum was torn and repaired.

• "Diagnostic arthroscopy was performed. A tear of the anterior superior labrum was confirmed on diagnostic arthroscopy. The remainder of the labrum was intact. Attention was then turned to the repair of the anterior superior labrum and the labral cyst. The anterior superior glenoid was first debrided and the margin of the glenoid was debrided with the use of shave. Once bony bleeding had been achieved, attention was turned to placing the suture anchors. A total of two anchors were placed in a mattress stitch configuration, positioned anterior‑superiorly and superiorly.”

Answer:

I find that reviewing the labrum as a clock helps determine the best coding. To avoid confusion, as you present here, operative note dictation describing where the anatomic location of the tear is also beneficial.

With that said, the term "superior" is not necessarily the qualifying factor for selecting either CPT 29807 vs. 29806. As if you are looking at a clock, the SLAP tear occurs between the 11 (posterior) and 1 (anterior) positions. The anterior superior labrum is between the 1 and 3 position, therefore it is likely that a tear in the anterior superior labrum can be coded to 29807.

*This response is based on the best information available as of 06/04/26.