CPT code 26510: Tendon transfer, thumb2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $627.60 for 26510 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 26510 covers

In this operation, a surgeon redirects a functioning tendon and attaches it to the thumb to restore active movement when the thumb’s normal tendon action is deficient. Hand and orthopedic surgeons commonly perform the procedure in an operating room for problems related to tendon injury or loss, nerve dysfunction, or congenital conditions. The operative report should identify the transferred tendon, its new attachment, the thumb function being restored, and any additional procedures performed.

Report the code when the documented operation is a tendon transfer to the thumb; distinguish it from a procedure directed at another hand structure or a specifically defined opponensplasty technique. This major surgery has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity; 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 26510 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

26510 rates by state

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

How the 26510 rate is calculated

Each of 26510’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 26510

26510 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 51

26510 compared with similar codes

How to choose

26490Thumb tendon repairExtensor tendon, no free graft

This code is for an opponensplasty using a superficial tendon. Choose based on that defined operation rather than treating every thumb tendon transfer as the same service.

26492Tendon transferThumb with free tendon graft

This code describes opponensplasty using another tendon. The operative technique and donor tendon, not simply the goal of improving thumb function, guide code selection.

26508Thumb contracture releaseThumb soft-tissue contracture

This code releases a thumb contracture; it does not transfer a tendon to restore active thumb movement.

Codes related to 26510

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