CPT code 27685: Tendon lengthening, single tendon, leg or ankle2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $681.71 for 27685 nationally in the office and $443.56 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $605.73–$882.89.

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

What 27685 covers

An orthopedic or podiatric surgeon surgically lengthens or shortens one tendon in the leg or ankle to change its effective length. A familiar example is lengthening the Achilles tendon to address a fixed ankle or foot deformity associated with tendon contracture. The procedure is generally performed in an operating room or ambulatory surgery setting.

Select this code when the operative work changes the length of a single tendon; document the tendon treated, the side, the reason for changing its length, and the technique performed. For each additional tendon treated, 27686 is the related add-on code rather than another unit of 27685. CMS assigns 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 reduced to 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be allowed; 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 27685 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

27685 rates by state

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

How the 27685 rate is calculated

Each of 27685’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 27685

27685 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

27685 compared with similar codes

How to choose

27686Tendon adjustmentMultiple tendons, same incision

27685 covers length adjustment of one tendon; 27686 is reported for each additional tendon treated.

27687Calf tendon revisionGastrocnemius recession

27687 describes gastrocnemius recession. Use it when the operative target is the gastrocnemius rather than length adjustment of a single leg or ankle tendon.

27680Tendon releaseSingle leg or ankle tendon

27680 releases adhesions around a tendon to improve glide. It is not the code for surgically lengthening or shortening that tendon.

27690Tendon transferSingle lower-leg tendon

27690 describes transfer of a superficial tendon to redirect its function; 27685 changes a tendon’s length without describing a transfer.

Codes related to 27685

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