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CPT code 26460: Extensor tenotomy, hand or finger tendon2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Surgical division of a hand or finger extensor tendon to address contracture or tendon imbalance, reported for each tendon treated.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities524 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $448.57 for 26460 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 26460

Extensor tenotomy, hand or finger tendon

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
3.49
Total RVUs
13.43
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$448.57

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 26460 →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 26460 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 26460 covers

This procedure surgically divides an extensor tendon in the hand or a finger to change tendon tension or correct an extensor mechanism contracture or imbalance. It is typically performed by a hand, orthopedic, or plastic surgeon in an operating room or other surgical setting. The operative record should identify the tendon and site and explain the functional problem the division is intended to address.

Report the code for each tendon treated, distinguishing this operation from freeing adhesions or repairing a disrupted tendon. The record should support the specific tendon division and the clinical indication. Medicare 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 other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 26460 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

26460 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$400.36
AlaskaUnavailable$517.28
ArizonaUnavailable$435.83
ArkansasUnavailable$394.29
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$458.25
Austin, TXUnavailable$464.33
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$472.09
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$478.24
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$419.11
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$441.94

26460 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
26460 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 26460 rate is calculated

Each of 26460’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 · 26460

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work3.49

3.49 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense9.29

9.29 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.65

0.65 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

13.4300

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$448.57

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 26460

26460 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 26460

Extensor tenotomy, hand or finger tendon

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)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
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 · 26460

Extensor tenotomy, hand or finger tendon

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 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

26460 without 51 · national facility

$448.57

Extensor tenotomy, hand or finger tendon

26460-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$224.29

When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).

When to use modifier 51

26460 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 26460

    Extensor tenotomy, hand or finger tendon3.49 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 26445

    Tendon release, extensor, hand or finger4.34 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 26450

    Tendon tenotomy, flexor tendon in palm3.7 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 26455

    Tendon incision, open finger tenotomy3.67 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 26426

    Tendon repair, secondary, without free graft6.16 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

26445Tendon releaseExtensor, hand or finger
Choose 26460 when the extensor tendon is intentionally divided. Choose 26445 when adhesions are released to restore tendon glide without dividing the tendon.
26450Tendon tenotomyFlexor tendon in palm
26450 concerns a palm flexor tendon; 26460 concerns an extensor tendon in the hand or finger.
26455Tendon incisionOpen finger tenotomy
26455 concerns a finger flexor tendon. 26460 is for an extensor tendon in the hand or finger.
26426Tendon repairSecondary, without free graft
26426 is a tendon repair code. Use 26460 when the intended operation is division of an extensor tendon, not repair of a disrupted tendon.

Codes related to 26460

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

Codes related to 26460
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
26445Tendon release, extensor, hand or fingerExtensor tenolysis frees adhesions when the tendon is preserved rather than divided.No office rate
26450Tendon tenotomy, flexor tendon in palmTenotomy for a flexor tendon in the palm, rather than an extensor tendon.No office rate
26455Tendon incision, open finger tenotomyTenotomy for a flexor tendon in a finger, rather than an extensor tendon.No office rate
26426Tendon repair, secondary, without free graftTendon repair is selected when the operative goal is repair rather than intentional division.No office rate

26460 billing questions

How is 26460 different from extensor tenolysis?

26460 involves intentionally dividing an extensor tendon. Use extensor tenolysis when the procedure frees adhesions restricting tendon glide rather than dividing the tendon.

How does this differ from 26450 or 26455?

26460 is for an extensor tendon. Codes 26450 and 26455 concern flexor tendon tenotomy in the palm and finger, respectively.

How many units should be reported?

The code is reported for each tendon treated. Document each tendon and its hand or finger location in the operative report.

What documentation supports reporting this code?

Identify the extensor tendon divided, the anatomical site, the functional problem, and the operative work performed. The record should make clear that the tendon was divided rather than merely freed or repaired.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 26460PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,603 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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