CPT code 28072: Joint synovectomy, foot metatarsophalangeal joint2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Louisiana
Reports surgical removal of abnormal synovial tissue from a foot metatarsophalangeal joint, such as for persistent inflammatory synovitis causing pain or swelling.
Medicare pays $463.59–$485.36 for 28072 in the office in Louisiana, from Rest of Louisiana to New Orleans, LA. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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 28072 covers
This service removes abnormal synovial tissue from a metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint in the foot. An orthopedic foot-and-ankle surgeon or podiatric surgeon typically performs it in an operating room, opening the joint to address persistent, symptomatic synovial inflammation or proliferation. The operative focus is the joint lining, not a toe tendon sheath or a diagnostic tissue sample alone.
Report the code when the surgeon performs therapeutic synovial tissue removal at an MTP joint. The operative report should identify the joint, describe the synovial findings and removal, and support why treatment went beyond biopsy. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Assistant-at-surgery payment is barred, and co-surgeon and team-surgery reporting are 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 28072 pays more and less in Louisiana
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LA | $485.36 | $306.52 |
| Rest of Louisiana | $463.59 | $295.39 |
How the 28072 rate is calculated
Each of 28072’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 · 28072
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work4.60
4.60 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense9.89
9.89 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.55
0.55 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
15.0400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$502.35
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 28072
28072 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 28072
Joint synovectomy, foot metatarsophalangeal 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) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| 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 · 28072
Joint synovectomy, foot metatarsophalangeal 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
28072 without 51 · national office
$502.35
Joint synovectomy, foot metatarsophalangeal joint
28072-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$251.18
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%).
28072 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 28070Foot synovectomyTarsometatarsal joint
- Both codes report foot-joint synovectomy, but 28070 is for a tarsal joint; 28072 is for a metatarsophalangeal joint.
- 28052Joint biopsyMetatarsophalangeal joint
- Use 28052 for biopsy at a metatarsophalangeal joint when tissue is sampled for diagnosis. Use 28072 when abnormal synovial tissue is therapeutically removed.
- 28086Tendon sheath excisionSingle sheath
- Code 28086 concerns excision of a foot tendon sheath. Code 28072 concerns synovial tissue within a metatarsophalangeal joint.
28072 billing questions
How does this differ from 28070?
Code 28072 is for synovectomy at a foot metatarsophalangeal joint. Code 28070 is for synovectomy at a tarsal joint.
When would 28052 be more appropriate?
Use the applicable joint-biopsy code when the surgeon opens the joint to obtain a diagnostic sample rather than therapeutically removing abnormal synovial tissue.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral MTP synovectomy?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code, so do not use modifier 50 for a bilateral adjustment.
What postoperative care is included in the global period?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid for this service?
CMS bars assistant-at-surgery payment for this code and does not permit co-surgeon or team-surgery reporting.
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
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