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Billing code 27334: Knee synovectomyMedicare rate & RVUs

Open knee synovectomy through an anterior or posterior arthrotomy to remove diseased synovium, without the popliteal-area extent represented by its sibling code.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities1.3K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $649.98 for 27334 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 27334

Knee synovectomy

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
8.96
Total RVUs
19.46
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$649.98

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 27334 → · 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 27334 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 27334 covers

This code represents an open knee arthrotomy with removal of diseased synovial tissue through an anterior or posterior approach. Orthopedic surgeons typically perform it in an operating room for substantial synovial disease, such as persistent inflammatory or proliferative synovitis requiring surgical removal rather than a diagnostic tissue sample. The operative report should identify the approach and describe the synovectomy performed; extension into the popliteal area points to the more extensive sibling code, 27335.

Report 27334 for the open synovectomy described, not for synovial biopsy alone or arthroscopic synovectomy. Documentation should establish the knee site, open approach, tissue removed, and extent of the procedure. CMS assigns a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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 27334 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

27334 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$586.53
Alaska*Unavailable$789.79
ArizonaUnavailable$631.94
ArkansasUnavailable$578.70
AtlantaUnavailable$668.23
AustinUnavailable$660.01
BakersfieldUnavailable$658.43
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$690.78
BeaumontUnavailable$619.62
BrazoriaUnavailable$635.83

27334 rates by state

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

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

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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
27334 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 27334 rate is calculated

Each of 27334’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 · 27334

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 8.96Practice expense 8.60Malpractice 1.90

19.4600 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$649.98

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 27334

27334 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 27334

Knee synovectomy

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)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
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 · 27334

Knee synovectomy

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 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

27334 without 50 · national facility

$649.98

Knee synovectomy

27334-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$974.97

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

27334 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

27334 vs 27335 vs 27330 vs 29876 vs 27331: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 27334
    Knee synovectomy · 8.96 wRVU
    —
  • 27335
    Knee synovectomy · 10.29 wRVU
    —
  • 27330
    Knee biopsy · 4.98 wRVU
    —
  • 29876
    Knee synovectomy · 8.65 wRVU
    —
  • 27331
    Knee arthrotomy · 5.87 wRVU
    —

How to choose

27335Knee synovectomy
Both describe open knee synovectomy, but 27335 includes the popliteal area. Use 27334 for the anterior or posterior approach without that extent.
27330Knee biopsy
27330 is for sampling knee synovium for biopsy; 27334 involves open surgical removal of diseased synovial tissue.
29876Knee synovectomy
29876 describes arthroscopic major synovectomy in two or more compartments. Code 27334 is an open procedure through arthrotomy.
27331Knee arthrotomy
27331 describes open knee exploration or treatment, not the synovectomy represented by 27334. The operative work documented determines the code.

Codes related to 27334

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

Codes related to 27334
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
27335Knee synovectomyOpen knee synovectomy that extends into the popliteal area.No office rate
Used instead
27330Knee biopsyBiopsy of knee synovium rather than operative removal of diseased tissue.No office rate
29875Knee synovectomyArthroscopic limited synovectomy instead of open synovectomy.No office rate
29876Knee synovectomyArthroscopic major synovectomy of two or more knee compartments.No office rate

27334 billing questions

When should 27335 be used instead?

Use 27335 when the open synovectomy includes the popliteal area. Code 27334 describes an anterior or posterior approach without that stated extent.

Can 27334 be reported for a synovial biopsy?

No. A biopsy of the knee joint lining is represented by 27330; 27334 is for open removal of diseased synovium.

How does arthroscopic synovectomy differ?

Codes 29875 and 29876 describe arthroscopic synovectomy, while 27334 is an open procedure through arthrotomy. The arthroscopic code depends on the extent performed.

What does the 90-day global period include?

The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period for 27334.

How is bilateral surgery reported under the CMS facts?

Report bilateral surgery with modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?

An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.

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 27334PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,845 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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