CPT code 26460: Extensor tenotomy, hand or finger tendon2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Surgical division of a hand or finger extensor tendon to address contracture or tendon imbalance, reported for each tendon treated.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 26460 in California.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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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 in California
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | Unavailable | $472.09 |
| Chico, CA | Unavailable | $470.27 |
| El Centro, CA | Unavailable | $470.38 |
| Fresno, CA | Unavailable | $470.27 |
| Hanford, CA | Unavailable | $470.27 |
| Los Angeles, CA | Unavailable | $502.84 |
| Madera, CA | Unavailable | $470.27 |
| Marin County, CA | Unavailable | $575.12 |
| Merced, CA | Unavailable | $470.27 |
| Modesto, CA | Unavailable | $470.27 |
| Napa, CA | Unavailable | $543.91 |
| Oxnard, CA | Unavailable | $500.13 |
| Redding, CA | Unavailable | $470.27 |
| Rest of California | Unavailable | $470.27 |
| Riverside, CA | Unavailable | $477.27 |
| Sacramento, CA | Unavailable | $493.27 |
| Salinas, CA | Unavailable | $491.45 |
| San Benito County, CA | Unavailable | $588.47 |
| San Diego, CA | Unavailable | $502.95 |
| San Francisco, CA | Unavailable | $574.39 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | Unavailable | $483.61 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | Unavailable | $585.46 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | Unavailable | $507.66 |
| Santa Maria, CA | Unavailable | $493.27 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | Unavailable | $512.74 |
| Stockton, CA | Unavailable | $470.27 |
| Vallejo, CA | Unavailable | $542.85 |
| Visalia, CA | Unavailable | $470.27 |
| Yuba City, CA | Unavailable | $470.27 |
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
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
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.69/0.21 | Share 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.
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%).
26460 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
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.
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
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