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CPT code 25825: Wrist fusion, limited, with autograft2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports a limited wrist fusion using the patient's own bone graft, commonly for selected carpal-bone fusion in a painful, arthritic wrist.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities1.1K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $743.84 for 25825 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 25825

Wrist fusion, limited, with autograft

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
9.45
Total RVUs
22.27
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$743.84

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 25825 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

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

Your location

Medicare pays by the payment locality where the service is performed.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 25825 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 25825 covers

The surgeon fuses selected wrist bones while leaving other wrist joints unfused, using the patient's own bone to support healing. A common example is scaphoid excision with fusion of the lunate, capitate, hamate, and triquetrum for advanced scaphoid-related wrist arthritis. The graft may come from a separate donor site or nearby bone. Hand and orthopedic surgeons typically perform this operation in a hospital or ambulatory surgery setting.

Report 25825 when the operative work is a limited wrist arthrodesis and autograft is used. The operative report should identify the bones fused and document the graft's use; a limited fusion without graft is distinguished by 25820. This major surgery has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. For bilateral surgery, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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 25825 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

25825 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$671.84
AlaskaUnavailable$898.76
ArizonaUnavailable$723.81
ArkansasUnavailable$662.89
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$762.70
Austin, TXUnavailable$759.02
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$761.83
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$789.95
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$706.44
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$729.89

25825 rates by state

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

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Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

View every state and territory as a table
25825 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the 25825 rate is calculated

Each of 25825’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.

How the rate is built · 25825

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work9.45

9.45 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense11.03

11.03 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice1.79

1.79 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

22.2700

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$743.84

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 25825

25825 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 25825

Wrist fusion, limited, with autograft

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.10/0.69/0.21Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 25825

Wrist fusion, limited, with autograft

90-day global period ends

Dec 30, 2026

Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).

Visit on Oct 31, 2026

Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

25825 without 50 · national facility

$743.84

Wrist fusion, limited, with autograft

25825-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$1,115.76

Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).

When to use modifier 50

25825 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 25825

    Wrist fusion, limited, with autograft9.45 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 25820

    Wrist fusion, limited, no bone graft7.45 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 25810

    Wrist fusion, complete, with autograft11.65 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 25800

    Wrist fusion, complete, without graft9.82 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 25805

    Wrist fusion, sliding bone graft11.44 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

25820Wrist fusionLimited, no bone graft
Choose 25820 for a limited wrist fusion without bone graft. Choose 25825 when autograft is used for the limited fusion.
25810Wrist fusionComplete, with autograft
25810 represents wrist arthrodesis with iliac or other autograft; 25825 is for limited fusion rather than the broader wrist fusion.
25800Wrist fusionComplete, without graft
25800 describes complete wrist fusion without graft. 25825 describes fusion of selected wrist bones with autograft.
25805Wrist fusionSliding bone graft
25805 identifies a sliding-graft technique. 25825 identifies limited wrist fusion with autograft, without specifying that sliding-graft method.

Codes related to 25825

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

Codes related to 25825
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
25820Wrist fusion, limited, no bone graftLimited wrist arthrodesis without bone graft.No office rate
Used instead
25810Wrist fusion, complete, with autograftWrist arthrodesis using iliac or another autograft; distinguish the extent of fusion.No office rate
25800Wrist fusion, complete, without graftComplete wrist arthrodesis without bone graft.No office rate
25805Wrist fusion, sliding bone graftWrist arthrodesis using a sliding-graft technique.No office rate

25825 billing questions

How does 25825 differ from 25820?

Both describe limited wrist fusion, but 25825 includes use of autograft. Use 25820 when the limited fusion is performed without bone graft.

Does 25825 describe a complete wrist fusion?

No. It describes fusion of selected wrist bones. A complete wrist arthrodesis is coded from the complete-fusion family, with the specific code depending on the graft technique.

What documentation supports reporting 25825?

The operative report should identify the wrist bones fused and document that the patient's own bone was used as graft. The documented extent of fusion distinguishes a limited procedure from a complete wrist arthrodesis.

How is bilateral 25825 handled under the CMS fee schedule?

For bilateral surgery, modifier 50 is paid at 150%.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid for this operation?

An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.

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

Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
RVUs for 25825PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,513 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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