Billing code 27557: Knee dislocationMedicare rate & RVUs in Guam
Open surgery for tibiofemoral knee dislocation with repair of noncruciate ligament structures, reported when operative reduction and ligament repair are performed.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 27557 in Guam.
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 9 sections
What 27557 covers
This code covers open treatment of a tibiofemoral knee dislocation when the surgeon repairs ligamentous structures other than the cruciate ligaments. Orthopedic surgeons typically perform the operation in a hospital operating room for a major injury with persistent joint instability or associated ligament damage. Internal fixation is included when used as part of the treatment. This is not a code for a dislocated kneecap.
Select this level when the operative record supports open treatment and ligament repair but does not document repair of cruciate ligament(s); cruciate repair points to a different level in this code family. Document the dislocation, operative approach, repaired structures, and any fixation. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. For bilateral treatment, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons require 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.
27557 in Hawaii, Guam
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii, Guam | Unavailable | $939.85 |
How the 27557 rate is calculated
Each of 27557’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 · 27557
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 15.50Practice expense 9.43Malpractice 3.31
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 27557
27557 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 27557
Knee dislocation
| 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) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 27557
Knee dislocation
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 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
27557 without 50 · national facility
$943.24
Knee dislocation
27557-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,414.86
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).
27557 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
27557 vs 27556 vs 27558 vs 27552 vs 27560: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 27556Knee dislocation
- Choose 27556 for open knee dislocation treatment without ligament repair. Choose 27557 when ligamentous structures are repaired, excluding cruciate repair.
- 27558Knee dislocation repair
- Choose 27558 when treatment includes repair of cruciate ligament(s); 27557 applies when ligament repair does not include the cruciates.
- 27552Knee reduction
- This is closed treatment of a knee dislocation under anesthesia. Code 27557 describes open treatment with ligament repair.
- 27560Patellar dislocation
- Code 27560 concerns a dislocated patella, not a tibiofemoral knee dislocation requiring open ligament repair.
27557 billing questions
How does this differ from 27556?
Use 27557 when open treatment includes repair of ligamentous structures. Code 27556 describes open treatment without that ligament repair.
When is 27558 a better fit?
Use 27558 when the open knee dislocation treatment includes repair of cruciate ligament(s). Code 27557 is for ligament repair that does not include cruciate repair.
Does the code include internal fixation?
Internal fixation is included when used as part of the open treatment. The operative note should identify the dislocation treatment and repaired ligament structures.
Can modifier 50 be used for both knees?
CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure; modifier 50 is paid at 150% when both sides are treated.
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
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