Healthcare Insights
The most common procedures related to sports injuries
While playing a sport can be a very fun and enriching activity, it also comes with its fair share of injuries. When faced with a sports injury, it’s the field of sports medicine that will help you on your journey to recovery.
Using data from the Definitive Healthcare Atlas All-Payor Claims product, we were able to find the 10 most common procedures related to sports injuries for the calendar year 2022. The analysis was performed on claims that fall under the broader surgery category (10004 – 69990) of the CPT code set.
| Rank | Code | Code description | Percent of procedures related to sports injuries in 2022 | Explore dataset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12001 | Simple repair of superficial wounds of scalp, neck, axillae, external genitalia, trunk and/or extremities (including hands and feet); 2.5 cm or less | 10.70% | Explore |
| 2 | 12011 | Simple repair of superficial wounds of face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips and/or mucous membranes; 2.5 cm or less | 10.10% | Explore |
| 3 | 29125 | Application of short arm splint (forearm to hand); static | 7.90% | Explore |
| 4 | 12002 | Simple repair of superficial wounds of scalp, neck, axillae, external genitalia, trunk and/or extremities (including hands and feet); 2.6 cm to 7.5 cm | 7.60% | Explore |
| 5 | 29515 | Application of short leg splint (calf to foot) | 5.00% | Explore |
| 6 | 36415 | Collection of venous blood by venipuncture | 4.60% | Explore |
| 7 | 29130 | Application of finger splint; static | 4.80% | Explore |
| 8 | 25600 | Closed treatment of distal radial fracture (eg, colles or smith type) or epiphyseal separation, includes closed treatment of fracture of ulnar styloid, when performed; without manipulation | 3.90% | Explore |
| 9 | 12013 | Simple repair of superficial wounds of face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips and/or mucous membranes; 2.6 cm to 5.0 cm | 3.80% | Explore |
| 10 | 26720 | Closed treatment of phalangeal shaft fracture, proximal or middle phalanx, finger or thumb; without manipulation, each | 3.80% | Explore |
Fig. 1. Data from the Definitive Healthcare’s Atlas All-Payor Claims product for the calendar year 2022. Claims data is sourced from multiple medical claims clearinghouses in the United States and updated monthly. Accessed June 2023.
What are the most common procedures related to sports injuries?
Scrapes and cuts commonly occur while playing almost any sport which is likely why the most common procedure is CPT 12001 for “simple repair of surgical wounds of scalp, neck, axillae, external genitalia, trunk and/or extremities (including hands and feet); 2.5 cm or less.” This procedure is used to treat small, superficial wounds on the body that can be closed via tissue adhesives, staples, or sutures.
Just behind in second place is “simple repair of superficial wounds of face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, and/or mucus membranes; 2.5 cm or less,” including small cuts and lacerations. However, CPT 12011 is used specifically to treat wounds on the face or head, while CPT 12001 is for those on the body.
Rounding out the top three is CPT code 29125 for “application of short arm splint (forearm to hand); static,” which accounts for 7.9% of procedures related to sports injuries. Splints are typically used during healing or for stabilization of a fracture before surgery. Athletes can take bad falls or hits that can result in broken bones or fractures, resulting in many athletes needing to keep their arms in a splint while their injury mends.
Why is sports medicine important to healthcare?
Sports medicine is important because it is focused on providing care to anyone who has been injured due to high levels of physical activity. This can include children or adults playing a sport or professionals who work in physically demanding fields.
Furthermore, sports medicine is essential to helping patients recover from sports injuries and quickly return to their routine physical activity. Besides treating injuries, sports medicine also supports healthy nutrition and injury prevention.
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