CPT code 26525: Contracture release, finger interphalangeal joint2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports operative release of a contracted finger interphalangeal joint to improve motion, with each treated joint counted separately.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 26525 in Texas.
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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On this page 9 sections
What 26525 covers
This operation releases contracted soft tissues around a finger interphalangeal joint, typically the proximal or distal joint, to improve extension and motion. A hand or orthopedic surgeon may perform it for a fixed contracture, including one that limits function after injury or disease. The operative approach and structures released depend on the cause and severity of the contracture.
Report one unit for each interphalangeal joint released. The operative note should identify the finger and joint, describe the contracture and release performed, and support why operative correction was needed. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. In a same-session group of procedures, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; co-surgeon payment requires 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 26525 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | Unavailable | $700.30 |
| Beaumont, TX | Unavailable | $632.88 |
| Brazoria, TX | Unavailable | $666.66 |
| Dallas, TX | Unavailable | $671.86 |
| Fort Worth, TX | Unavailable | $667.68 |
| Galveston, TX | Unavailable | $669.25 |
| Houston, TX | Unavailable | $688.29 |
| Rest of Texas | Unavailable | $650.04 |
How the 26525 rate is calculated
Each of 26525’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 · 26525
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work5.36
5.36 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense13.87
13.87 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.04
1.04 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
20.2700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$677.04
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 26525
26525 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 26525
Contracture release, finger interphalangeal joint
| 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) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 26525
Contracture release, finger interphalangeal joint
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
26525 without 51 · national facility
$677.04
Contracture release, finger interphalangeal joint
26525-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$338.52
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%).
26525 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 26520Knuckle releaseMetacarpophalangeal joint
- Use 26520 for release of a contracture at the metacarpophalangeal joint. Use 26525 when the released joint is interphalangeal.
- 26508Thumb contracture releaseThumb soft-tissue contracture
- 26508 applies to contracture release in the thumb. Code 26525 applies to a finger interphalangeal joint.
- 26535Finger joint surgeryWithout prosthetic implant
- 26535 describes finger interphalangeal joint arthroplasty. Choose 26525 for contracture release without that joint-reconstruction procedure.
26525 billing questions
Which joint qualifies for this code?
Use it for release of a finger interphalangeal joint contracture, such as at the proximal or distal interphalangeal joint. A metacarpophalangeal, or knuckle, contracture is described by a different code.
How many units should be reported?
Report one unit for each interphalangeal joint released. Document the finger and specific joint for each unit.
Can modifier 50 be used for both hands?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code. Do not use modifier 50 to report bilateral work.
Does the code include related postoperative visits?
Yes. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Is an assistant surgeon payable?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeon payment is allowed only with supporting documentation.
How does this differ from finger joint arthroplasty?
This code describes release of a contracture. Finger joint arthroplasty codes describe joint reconstruction or replacement work rather than an isolated contracture release.
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
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