CPT code 27415: Knee allograft, open donor-tissue transplant2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Open knee osteochondral allograft transplantation restores a focal articular-surface defect using donor cartilage and its supporting bone.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 27415 in Missouri.
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 27415 covers
This open knee procedure restores a focal articular-surface defect by implanting donor osteochondral tissue—cartilage with its supporting bone—into a prepared recipient site. Orthopedic surgeons use it for selected symptomatic defects of a knee joint surface, such as a femoral condyle, when donor tissue is needed to replace damaged cartilage and underlying bone. It is generally performed in an operating room, commonly in a hospital facility.
Report 27415 when the operative documentation supports an open allograft transplant, rather than tissue harvested from the patient or a cell-based implantation. Document the defect’s location, the recipient-site preparation, and use and implantation of donor tissue. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care through day 90. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with 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 27415 pays more and less in Missouri
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Kansas City, MO | Unavailable | $1,226.77 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MO | Unavailable | $1,236.33 |
| Rest of Missouri | Unavailable | $1,190.27 |
How the 27415 rate is calculated
Each of 27415’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 · 27415
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work19.50
19.50 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense14.03
14.03 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice4.15
4.15 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
37.6800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,258.55
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 27415
27415 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 27415
Knee allograft, open donor-tissue transplant
| 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) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| 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 · 27415
Knee allograft, open donor-tissue transplant
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 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
27415 without 50 · national facility
$1,258.55
Knee allograft, open donor-tissue transplant
27415-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,887.83
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
27415 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 27416Knee cartilage graftAutograft, open approach
- Both are open knee osteochondral graft procedures. Choose 27415 for donor tissue and 27416 when the graft is harvested from the patient.
- 29867Knee allograftArthroscopic osteochondral implantation
- 29867 describes arthroscopic knee osteochondral allograft transplantation; 27415 is for the open approach.
- 27412Cartilage implantationAutologous chondrocytes
- 27412 involves implantation of the patient’s cultured cartilage cells. 27415 transplants donor cartilage together with supporting bone.
27415 billing questions
How is 27415 different from 27416?
27415 is for an osteochondral graft from a donor. 27416 is for an osteochondral graft harvested from the patient.
When should 29867 be considered instead?
29867 describes an arthroscopic approach to knee osteochondral allograft transplantation. Use 27415 for the open procedure documented in the operative report.
What documentation supports reporting 27415?
The operative report should identify the knee defect and its location, describe preparation of the recipient site, and establish that donor osteochondral tissue was implanted through an open approach.
What does the 90-day global period include?
It includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care through 90 days after surgery.
How is bilateral 27415 reported?
When the procedure is performed bilaterally, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?
Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is 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
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