CPT code 25105: Wrist synovectomy, open approach2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $464.27 for 25105 nationally in a facility.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 25105 covers

The surgeon opens the wrist joint and removes synovial tissue, often to treat persistent proliferative synovitis associated with inflammatory arthritis or another ongoing joint condition. An orthopedic or hand surgeon typically performs the operation in a hospital or ambulatory surgery setting. This code describes treatment of the joint lining; it is distinct from sampling a small amount of tissue for diagnosis and from removing articular cartilage or a tendon sheath.

Report the service when the operative record supports open wrist-joint exposure and synovectomy. Documentation should identify the treated wrist, the indication, and the synovial tissue removed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.

This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.

Where 25105 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

25105 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

How the 25105 rate is calculated

Each of 25105’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.

Payment rules and modifiers for 25105

25105 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 50

25105 compared with similar codes

How to choose

25100Wrist biopsyOpen joint approach

Use 25100 for open wrist-joint biopsy when tissue is sampled for diagnosis. Use 25105 when the operation removes synovial tissue therapeutically.

25107Wrist cartilage excisionOpen arthrotomy approach

25107 addresses removal of wrist-joint cartilage; 25105 addresses removal of synovial lining.

29845Wrist arthroscopyPartial synovectomy

29845 describes complete wrist synovectomy performed arthroscopically. This code describes open synovectomy.

25118Tendon sheath excisionWrist tenosynovectomy

25118 concerns excision of a wrist or forearm tendon sheath. This code treats synovium within the wrist joint.

Codes related to 25105

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Where these rates come from

FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.

CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates