CPT code 27335: Knee synovectomy, anterior and posterior2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $719.12 for 27335 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 27335 covers

An orthopedic surgeon removes diseased synovial lining from both the anterior and posterior regions of the knee through an open operation. This may be performed for substantial proliferative or chronically inflamed synovium, including synovial disease associated with inflammatory arthritis. The operative report should establish that the work involved both regions, rather than a single-sided synovectomy or diagnostic tissue sampling.

Choose this code when the documented open synovectomy includes anterior and posterior knee regions; removal confined to one region is represented by the related single-region code. The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the 90-day global period. 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% reduction. For bilateral surgery, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid; 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 27335 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

27335 rates by state

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

How the 27335 rate is calculated

Each of 27335’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 27335

27335 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 50

27335 compared with similar codes

How to choose

27334Knee synovectomyAnterior or posterior approach

Use 27335 for open synovectomy involving both anterior and posterior knee regions; 27334 describes work in one region.

29876Knee synovectomyTwo or more compartments

29876 describes arthroscopic major synovectomy in two or more compartments. This code describes open synovectomy involving anterior and posterior regions.

29875Knee synovectomyLimited arthroscopic excision

29875 is for limited arthroscopic synovectomy, not the extensive open anterior-and-posterior removal represented by 27335.

27330Knee biopsyOpen synovial tissue sampling

27330 is diagnostic biopsy of the knee lining; 27335 is therapeutic removal of substantial synovial tissue from both regions.

Codes related to 27335

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