CPT code 25107: Wrist cartilage excision, open arthrotomy approach2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $587.86 for 25107 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 25107 covers

An orthopedic or hand surgeon opens the wrist joint and removes articular cartilage directly from the joint surfaces. The operative target is cartilage within the wrist joint, not the synovial lining, a tendon or tendon sheath, or a separate bone or soft-tissue lesion. The operative report should identify the joint entered and document the cartilage excision; opening the joint for inspection alone does not establish this service.

Select this code when the documented work includes excision of wrist-joint articular cartilage, distinguishing it from wrist arthrotomy for biopsy, exploration, or synovectomy. The 90-day global period includes 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 other procedures at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeons require 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 25107 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

25107 rates by state

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

How the 25107 rate is calculated

Each of 25107’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 25107

25107 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

25107 compared with similar codes

How to choose

25100Wrist biopsyOpen joint approach

Choose 25100 when the wrist joint is opened for biopsy. Choose 25107 when the documented work removes articular cartilage.

25101Wrist arthrotomyExploration, drainage, or foreign body

Code 25101 describes wrist-joint exploration, drainage, or foreign-body removal; 25107 requires excision of articular cartilage.

25105Wrist synovectomyOpen approach

Code 25105 targets the synovial lining. Code 25107 targets articular cartilage.

29846Wrist arthroscopyTFCC treatment or joint debridement

Code 29846 describes wrist arthroscopy with specified debridement or triangular fibrocartilage work. Code 25107 describes cartilage excision through open wrist arthrotomy.

Codes related to 25107

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