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Billing code 24357: Elbow tenotomyMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports percutaneous release of a diseased tendon origin at the elbow for lateral or medial epicondylitis, rather than an open debridement or repair.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities646 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $384.44 for 24357 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 24357

Elbow tenotomy

Work RVUs
5.3
Total RVUs
11.51
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$384.44

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 24357 →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 24357 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 24357 covers

This procedure treats persistent lateral epicondylitis at the common extensor tendon origin or medial epicondylitis at the common flexor tendon origin. The surgeon releases affected tendon fibers through a percutaneous approach, without the open exposure used for debridement or tendon-origin repair. Orthopedic and sports medicine surgeons commonly perform it for patients whose elbow symptoms warrant operative treatment, in an office-based procedure setting or a surgical facility.

Choose this code when the operative report supports a percutaneous tendon release at the elbow; an open approach belongs to a different code in the family. Document the affected elbow and tendon origin, the percutaneous technique, the condition treated, and the medical necessity. The code has a 90-day global period that includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. For bilateral treatment, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. An assistant is paid only when medical necessity is documented; 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 24357 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

24357 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$352.12
Alaska*Unavailable$475.79
ArizonaUnavailable$375.67
ArkansasUnavailable$348.07
AtlantaUnavailable$392.13
AustinUnavailable$393.27
BakersfieldUnavailable$397.64
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$405.81
BeaumontUnavailable$366.17
BrazoriaUnavailable$379.62

24357 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
24357 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 24357 rate is calculated

Each of 24357’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 · 24357

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Work5.30

5.30 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense5.59

5.59 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.62

0.62 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

11.5100

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$384.44

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 24357

24357 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 24357

Elbow tenotomy

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)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 · 24357

Elbow tenotomy

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

24357 without 50 · national facility

$384.44

Elbow tenotomy

24357-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$576.66

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

24357 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

  • 24357

    Elbow tenotomy5.3 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 24358

    Elbow tenotomy6.49 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 24359

    Elbow tendon repair8.76 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 20551

    Tendon injection0.73 wRVU

    $60.46

How to choose

24358Elbow tenotomy
Use 24357 for a percutaneous release. Use 24358 when the surgeon treats the elbow tendon origin through an open approach with debridement.
24359Elbow tendon repair
Use 24359 for the open elbow procedure that includes tendon-origin repair with debridement; 24357 describes a percutaneous release.
20551Tendon injection
20551 reports an injection at a tendon origin or insertion. It does not describe a percutaneous surgical release.

Codes related to 24357

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

Codes related to 24357
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
24358Elbow tenotomyOpen elbow tendon-origin treatment with debridement, rather than a percutaneous release.No office rate
24359Elbow tendon repairOpen elbow tendon-origin treatment with debridement and tendon attachment repair.No office rate
Used instead
20551Tendon injectionTendon-origin injection is a nonsurgical treatment option for a similar elbow complaint.$54.45–$76.66

24357 billing questions

How does this differ from 24358 or 24359?

This code is for a percutaneous tendon release. Use 24358 or 24359 when the surgeon performs the respective open procedure; the operative approach and work documented determine the code.

Can an injection be reported instead for epicondylitis?

A tendon-origin injection, such as 20551, is a different treatment approach. It is not a substitute for reporting a percutaneous release when that procedure was performed.

What documentation supports this code?

Document the elbow and tendon origin treated, the percutaneous technique, the condition prompting the procedure, and why operative treatment was medically necessary.

How is bilateral treatment reported?

When both elbows are treated, report the bilateral procedure with modifier 50. CMS pays it at 150%.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

An assistant at surgery is paid only when medical necessity is documented. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this code.

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 24357PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,307 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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