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CPT code 29886: Knee arthroscopy, osteochondral lesion drilling2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports arthroscopic drilling of an osteochondral lesion in the knee to stimulate healing, when the documented procedure matches this lesion-specific code.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities30 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $604.89 for 29886 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 29886

Knee arthroscopy, osteochondral lesion drilling

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
8.28
Total RVUs
18.11
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$604.89

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 29886 →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 29886 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 29886 covers

An orthopedic surgeon performs this procedure through a knee arthroscope, using instruments to drill into a focal osteochondral lesion. The drilling is intended to stimulate a healing response in the affected area. It is typically performed in an operating room for a patient with a symptomatic lesion identified through clinical evaluation and imaging, then assessed during arthroscopy. The operative report should identify the lesion and site, describe the drilling performed, and document any fixation or other treatment undertaken.

Choose this code when the documented arthroscopic work matches drilling for an osteochondral lesion; distinguish it from codes for osteochondritis dissecans drilling and drilling with fixation. This is a major surgery code with a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When related endoscopies are performed together, endoscopy family pricing applies. For bilateral procedures, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery, and co-surgeons and team surgery 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 29886 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

29886 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$545.68
AlaskaUnavailable$734.30
ArizonaUnavailable$588.07
ArkansasUnavailable$538.37
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$621.85
Austin, TXUnavailable$614.38
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$613.04
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$642.92
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$576.46
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$591.74

29886 rates by state

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

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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
29886 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 29886 rate is calculated

Each of 29886’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 · 29886

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work8.28

8.28 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense8.07

8.07 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice1.76

1.76 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

18.1100

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$604.89

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 29886

29886 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 29886

Knee arthroscopy, osteochondral lesion drilling

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures3Endoscopy family rules apply.
Bilateral (modifier 50)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
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 · 29886

Knee arthroscopy, osteochondral lesion drilling

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

29886 without 50 · national facility

$604.89

Knee arthroscopy, osteochondral lesion drilling

29886-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$907.34

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

29886 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 29886

    Knee arthroscopy, osteochondral lesion drilling8.28 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 29885

    Knee arthroscopy, intact OCD lesion drilling9.95 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 29887

    OCD lesion fixation, intact lesion with fixation9.91 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 29879

    Arthroscopic cartilage procedure, abrasion or microfracture8.77 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

29885Knee arthroscopyIntact OCD lesion drilling
Use 29885 for drilling for osteochondritis dissecans. Code 29886 is associated with drilling for an osteochondral lesion; follow the documented lesion and procedure.
29887OCD lesion fixationIntact lesion with fixation
Code 29887 is associated with drilling an osteochondral defect with fixation. Code 29886 describes osteochondral lesion drilling; the operative report should establish whether fixation was performed.
29879Arthroscopic cartilage procedureAbrasion or microfracture
Code 29879 describes arthroscopic abrasion arthroplasty, a different cartilage-treatment technique. Select according to the procedure actually performed, not simply the presence of a cartilage lesion.

Codes related to 29886

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

Codes related to 29886
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
29885Knee arthroscopy, intact OCD lesion drillingNeighboring knee arthroscopy code for drilling associated with osteochondritis dissecans.No office rate
29887OCD lesion fixation, intact lesion with fixationNeighboring knee arthroscopy code associated with osteochondral defect drilling and fixation.No office rate
Used instead
29879Arthroscopic cartilage procedure, abrasion or microfractureArthroscopic abrasion arthroplasty is a different technique for treating a cartilage defect.No office rate

29886 billing questions

How does this code differ from 29885?

Code 29886 is identified with drilling for an osteochondral lesion. Code 29885 is the neighboring code for drilling for osteochondritis dissecans; choose based on the lesion and procedure documented.

When would 29887 be considered instead?

Consider 29887 when the operative documentation supports drilling of an osteochondral defect with fixation. The documentation should make clear whether fixation was performed.

What documentation supports reporting 29886?

Document the knee and lesion site, the arthroscopic findings, and the drilling performed. Include the operative technique and any fixation or additional treatment.

How is bilateral treatment reported?

For a bilateral procedure, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid for this procedure?

CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.

What postoperative care is included?

The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

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 29886PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,367 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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