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Billing code 24305: Tendon lengtheningMedicare rate & RVUs

Report this procedure when a surgeon lengthens a tendon in the upper arm or around the elbow to address tendon shortening or restricted movement.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities1.4K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $540.76 for 24305 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 24305

Tendon lengthening

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
7.43
Total RVUs
16.19
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$540.76

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 24305 → · 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.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 24305 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 24305 covers

An orthopedic surgeon lengthens a tendon in the upper arm or around the elbow to reduce the effects of a shortened tendon, such as restricted joint movement. The procedure is performed in an operating room or another surgical setting, with the operative approach and technique determined by the tendon and clinical problem. This code is specific to tendon lengthening; it does not describe simply cutting a tendon or transferring it to another location.

Select the code based on the work performed, and document the tendon treated, its location, the reason for lengthening, and the operative technique. The code is reported for each tendon lengthened. It has a 90-day global period, which includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed 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. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeon and team-surgery payment 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 24305 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

24305 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$489.63
Alaska*Unavailable$659.66
ArizonaUnavailable$526.37
ArkansasUnavailable$483.30
AtlantaUnavailable$554.90
AustinUnavailable$550.13
BakersfieldUnavailable$550.63
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$573.81
BeaumontUnavailable$515.32
BrazoriaUnavailable$530.18

24305 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
24305 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 24305 rate is calculated

Each of 24305’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 · 24305

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 7.43Practice expense 7.35Malpractice 1.41

16.1900 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$540.76

All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 24305

24305 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 24305

Tendon lengthening

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)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)0Not paid without supporting documentation.
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 · 24305

Tendon lengthening

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.

  • 24 Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79 Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58 Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78 Unplanned 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 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

24305 without 51 · national facility

$540.76

Tendon lengthening

24305-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$270.38

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%).

When to use modifier 51

24305 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

24305 vs 24310 vs 24301 vs 24320: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 24305
    Tendon lengthening · 7.43 wRVU
    —
  • 24310
    Open tenotomy · 5.97 wRVU
    —
  • 24301
    Tendon transfer · 10.12 wRVU
    —
  • 24320
    Tenoplasty · 10.59 wRVU
    —

How to choose

24310Open tenotomy
24305 describes tendon lengthening. Choose 24310 when the documented procedure is open tenotomy rather than lengthening.
24301Tendon transfer
24301 describes a muscle or tendon transfer in the upper arm or elbow. It is not the choice when the surgeon lengthens the tendon in place.
24320Tenoplasty
24320 describes tenoplasty in the elbow-to-shoulder region. Use 24305 when the operative work is tendon lengthening, not the tenoplasty service represented by 24320.

Codes related to 24305

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

Codes related to 24305
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
24310Open tenotomyOpen tendon cutting in the elbow-to-shoulder region, rather than lengthening.No office rate
24301Tendon transferMuscle or tendon transfer in the upper arm or elbow when the operative work is relocation.No office rate
24320TenoplastyTenoplasty in the elbow-to-shoulder region; distinguish the documented reconstruction from lengthening.No office rate

24305 billing questions

How is tendon lengthening different from tendon tenotomy?

Use 24305 when the surgeon lengthens the tendon. Code 24310 describes an open tenotomy in the elbow-to-shoulder region, where cutting the tendon rather than lengthening it is the documented work.

How many units should be reported?

The code is reported for each tendon lengthened. The operative report should identify each tendon treated and describe the lengthening performed.

Is modifier 50 appropriate when both sides are treated?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code; do not use modifier 50.

What postoperative care is included?

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

Can an assistant surgeon be paid for this procedure?

Assistant-at-surgery payment is available only when medical necessity is documented. Co-surgeon and team-surgery payment are not permitted.

How does the multiple-procedure rule affect payment?

For procedures performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction.

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 24305PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,294 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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