Study on the application differences of ICD-9-CM-3 procedure codes and artificial intelligence technology in orthopedic procedure grouping

Objective: To explore the clinical application value of ICD-9-CM-3 procedure codes in orthopedic procedure grouping and utilize AI technology to enhance coding accuracy and grouping efficiency. Methods: 1200 orthopedic surgery cases from a tertiary hospital between January 2024 and January 2025 were selected. Surgical information was extracted, and coding and procedure grouping were performed according to ICD-9-CM-3 coding rules. The grouping results and coding status of various subspecialties were statistically analyzed. Results: Among the 1200 cases, the grouping error rates for bone tumor surgery, trauma orthopedics, joint surgery, and spine surgery were 5.0%, 10.0%, 6.67%, and 8.33%, respectively. The main causes of errors included non-standard surgical documentation, lagging updates to coding rules, and insufficient understanding of complex procedures by coders. After introducing AI technology, coding accuracy improved by 5.7%, processing time was reduced by 80%, and the workload for manual review decreased by 70%. Conclusion: There are significant application differences and problems with ICD-9-CM-3 coding in the grouping of procedures across different orthopedic subspecialties. These differences can be effectively reduced by measures such as enhancing coder training, standardizing surgical documentation, and promptly updating coding rules. The AI system not only significantly improved coding accuracy and grouping efficiency but also provided strong technical support for the digital development of orthopedic procedure management.