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CPT code 27580: Knee fusion, arthrodesis, any technique2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports surgical fusion of the knee to create a stable, immobile joint, typically as salvage for severe pain, infection, or failed reconstruction.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities339 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,354.74 for 27580 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 27580

Knee fusion, arthrodesis, any technique

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
20.57
Total RVUs
40.56
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,354.74

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 27580 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

Your location

Medicare pays by the payment locality where the service is performed.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 27580 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 27580 covers

Code 27580 describes an operation that fuses the knee joint, eliminating motion to provide a stable limb. Orthopedic surgeons may use it as a salvage procedure for a severely damaged or unstable knee, including some cases of infection or failed knee replacement when another reconstruction is not suitable. The procedure is generally performed in a hospital or other surgical facility.

Report the code when the surgeon performs knee arthrodesis, not for fracture fixation, manipulation of a stiff knee, or prosthesis removal alone. The operative report should support the fusion, the treated side, and the clinical reason for choosing arthrodesis. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery 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 27580 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

27580 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,226.28
AlaskaUnavailable$1,666.82
ArizonaUnavailable$1,317.59
ArkansasUnavailable$1,210.50
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$1,394.43
Austin, TXUnavailable$1,369.79
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$1,360.97
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$1,438.36
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$1,297.42
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$1,323.50

27580 rates by state

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

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Explore a state

Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

View every state and territory as a table
27580 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the 27580 rate is calculated

Each of 27580’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 · 27580

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work20.57

20.57 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense15.63

15.63 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice4.36

4.36 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

40.5600

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$1,354.74

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 27580

27580 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 27580

Knee fusion, arthrodesis, any technique

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.10/0.69/0.21Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 27580

Knee fusion, arthrodesis, any technique

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.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

27580 without 50 · national facility

$1,354.74

Knee fusion, arthrodesis, any technique

27580-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$2,032.11

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).

When to use modifier 50

27580 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 27580

    Knee fusion, arthrodesis, any technique20.57 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 27570

    Knee manipulation, under anesthesia1.75 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 27447

    Total knee replacement, medial and lateral compartments19.11 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 27487

    Knee revision, both femoral and tibial components26.43 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

27570Knee manipulationUnder anesthesia
27570 describes manipulation of the knee under anesthesia to address restricted motion; 27580 is surgical fusion that permanently eliminates knee motion.
27447Total knee replacementMedial and lateral compartments
27447 is primary total knee replacement, which preserves a prosthetic articulation. Report 27580 when the operation fuses the joint instead.
27487Knee revisionBoth femoral and tibial components
27487 describes revision of a total knee replacement involving both components. It is distinct from salvage arthrodesis reported with 27580.

Codes related to 27580

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Codes related to 27580
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
27447Total knee replacement, medial and lateral compartmentsPrimary total knee replacement may be chosen instead of fusion when reconstruction is appropriate.No office rate
27487Knee revision, both femoral and tibial componentsRevision of a knee replacement may be considered instead of fusion for a failed implant.No office rate
Often billed with
27488Knee prosthesis removal, spacer may be insertedProsthesis removal may occur in the same salvage operation before fusion, such as for an infected knee.No office rate

27580 billing questions

When should I report 27580 instead of a knee replacement code?

Use 27580 when the surgeon fuses the knee rather than replacing or revising its joint surfaces. The operative report should document the arthrodesis and its salvage rationale.

Can prosthesis removal be reported with the fusion?

A surgeon may remove an infected or failed knee prosthesis as part of a salvage operation before fusion. Code 27488 describes knee prosthesis removal; document the work performed and consider applicable coding edits.

Does 27580 include routine postoperative visits?

Yes. Its 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery.

How does Medicare handle an assistant or co-surgeon?

An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, while team surgery is not permitted.

How is bilateral knee fusion reported?

For bilateral procedures reported with modifier 50, CMS pays 150%. The documentation should establish that both knees were treated.

What happens when other procedures are performed in the same session?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction, with payment at 50%.

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
RVUs for 27580PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,954 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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