Orthopedic procedures

In October 2025, the Belgian National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI/RIZIV) updated the List of implants and invasive medical devices. A new sub-chapter with multiple material codes for the reconstruction of large bone defects and a new sub-chapter with a material code for a pre-formed periarticular osteosynthesis plate were introduced. Two new Nominative lists for brand-specific devices for the reconstruction of large bone defects were also published.

On October 24, 2025, the BfArM (Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices) published the final version of the 2026 OPS procedure coding classification. The OPS, together with the ICD-10-GM (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision, German Modification), forms the basis for the reimbursement systems in outpatient and inpatient care in Germany. Multiple new procedure codes were introduced in several fields, including cardiovascular, endoscopy, peripheral vascular, and orthopedics.

In October 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in England released four Med Tech-related assessments in its HTA Journal, which concerned tumor profiling tests in early breast cancer, remote monitoring of heart failure in people with cardiac implantable electronic devices, microstructural scaffolds in symptomatic defects of the knee, as well as rapid tests for antifungal stewardship in the ICU.

On September 22, 2025, the final version of the document "Changes and innovations in the 2026 LKF model" was published. The main changes include the addition of 32 new procedure codes, the introduction of 19 procedure codes for billing in the day case settings, an update of case flat rates, and adjustments to the calculation of daily and procedural components per case. New procedure codes mainly concern e-health, endoscopy, interventional radiology, orthopedics, and pulmonology fields. No new DRGs were introduced, and two new provisional (NUB) codes were added.

In July 2025, the HTA body of Tuscany Regional Healthcare published nine rapid HTA reports (eight new assessments and one reassessment) of medical devices in the ENT, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, orthopedics, peripheral vascular, and surgical procedures fields.

On July 31, 2025, the Swiss Federal Statistics Office (UFS) released the systematic version of the Swiss classification of surgical interventions (CHOP) for 2026. The CHOP classification is now available in German and will come into force on January 1, 2026. Multiple new procedure codes were introduced in various fields, including the cardiovascular, ENT, extracorporeal treatments, interventional radiology, nephrology and urology, orthopedics, peripheral vascular, and radionucleide therapy.

As of August 2025, the Centre for Assessment of Medical Technology in Örebro region in Sweden is working on health technology assessments in several areas, including in-vitro diagnostics, neuromodulation, and orthopedics.

In July 2025, the Dutch Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) awarded twelve projects under the 2026 round of the Efficiency Research program concerning e-health, diagnostic imaging, gastrointestinal, endoscopy, orthopedics, gynecology, pulmonology, and cardiology fields.

On June 30, 2025, the document "Changes and innovations in the 2026 LKF model" (Änderungen und Neuerungen in den LKF-Modellen 2026) was published. The document summarizes the most significant changes and innovations in the LKF model for inpatient and outpatient care. The procedure codes expected to be introduced in 2026 mainly concern e-health, endoscopy, interventional radiology, orthopedics, pulmonology, and robotic fields.

On July 1, 2025, the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI/RIZIV) updated Nomenclature to recognize the new professional title "orthopedic technologist", replacing the former specialties of "bandaging specialist" and "orthotist". Two Articles were repealed, and three new Articles have been introduced, detailing reimbursement for services in bandagery, orthotics, prosthetics, and orthopedic footwear services.

On July 1, 2025, the revised EBM (German Uniform Evaluation Standard) catalog for the third quarter of 2025 came into force. The main changes introduced concern updates of the contents (services legends, preambles of several EBM subchapters) and the introduction of new EBM codes for the reimbursement of transmitters for telemonitoring and telemedical monitoring of implantable cardiac devices, as well as codes for the services provided within the co-funded study on low-dose pulsed ultrasound for pseudarthrosis.

The Danish Health Data Authority quarterly updates the Health Care Classification System (SKS). The latest version was published in mid-June 2025 to come into force on July 1, 2025. Among other changes, seventy-eight new procedure codes were introduced concerning dermatology, endoscopy, ENT, interventional radiology, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, spine, surgical procedures, and some other fields.