No office rate
Both describe lateral retinacular release, but 27425 is open and 29873 is arthroscopic. Select according to the approach documented.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
27425 Patellar release Medicare reimbursement rates in Minnesota
Open lateral retinacular release divides tight tissue along the outer patella to address excessive lateral restraint or patellar maltracking. Compare 27425 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Minnesota.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 27425 in Minnesota?
Minnesota has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$423.47
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Minnesota
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Orthopedic surgery
About 27425: Open lateral retinacular release
Open lateral retinacular release divides tight tissue along the outer patella to address excessive lateral restraint or patellar maltracking.
The surgeon exposes and releases tight tissue along the outside of the kneecap through an open approach, reducing excessive lateral pull or restraint. Orthopedic surgeons commonly perform the procedure for patellar tilt or maltracking associated with a tight lateral retinaculum, often in a hospital operating room. The operative report should establish the indication and describe the open exposure and release performed.
Report 27425 when the documented service is an open lateral retinacular release; an arthroscopic release is represented by a different code. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction. For bilateral release reported with modifier 50, Medicare pays 150%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 27425
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- Assistant at surgery
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU5.26 · 40%
- Practice expense (office) RVU6.89 · 52%
- Malpractice RVU1.11 · 8%
863
Medicare services in 2024 · #3077 by national volume
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.
27425 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Minnesota, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
27425 releases lateral soft tissue. 27420 describes reconstruction for a dislocating patella, a different operation for patellar instability.
No office rate
27425 is an isolated open lateral release; 27422 involves patellar reconstruction with extensor mechanism realignment.
No office rate
27425 releases the lateral retinaculum. 27418 is a tibial tubercleplasty, a bony procedure used to address patellar alignment.
Compare 27425 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Minnesota →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$423.47
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 27425 in Minnesota.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
2,886
- Code
- 27425
- Physician work
- 5.26
- Practice expense
- 6.89
- Malpractice
- 1.11
GPCI2026.csv
66
- Locality
- Minnesota
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 1.029
- Malpractice
- 0.296
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 5.26 | × 1.000 | 5.2600 |
| Practice expense | 6.89 | × 1.029 | 7.0898 |
| Malpractice | 1.11 | × 0.296 | 0.3286 |
| Total RVUs | 12.6784 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Minnesota$423.47
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 5.26 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 6.89 | 1.029 |
| Malpractice | 1.11 | 0.296 |
(5.26 × 1 + 6.89 × 1.029 + 1.11 × 0.296) × $33.4009 = $423.47
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
27425 billing questions
How does 27425 differ from the arthroscopic lateral release code?
27425 is for an open approach. For an arthroscopic lateral retinacular release, consider 29873.
What documentation supports reporting 27425?
Document the patellar problem prompting surgery and the open exposure and lateral retinacular release actually performed. The operative note should distinguish the release from any separately described patellar or bony procedure.
Can modifier 50 be used for release on both knees?
CMS identifies 27425 as a bilateral procedure. When both sides are treated and modifier 50 is reported, Medicare pays 150%.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple procedure rule, Medicare pays the highest-valued procedure in full and pays other procedures at 50%.
Is an assistant or co-surgeon payable for 27425?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation; 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 indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
2,88327420,,Revision of unstable kneecap,A,,10.00,8.98,NA,8.98,,2.13,21.11,21.11,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,88427422,,Revision of unstable kneecap,A,,9.95,8.89,NA,8.89,,2.08,20.92,20.92,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,88527424,,Revision/removal of kneecap,A,,9.98,8.97,NA,8.97,,2.13,21.08,21.08,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,88627425,,Lat retinacular release open,A,,5.26,6.89,NA,6.89,,1.11,13.26,13.26,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,88727427,,Reconstruction knee,A,,9.55,8.42,NA,8.42,,1.87,19.84,19.84,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,88827428,,Reconstruction knee,A,,15.19,12.73,NA,12.73,,3.23,31.15,31.15,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,88927429,,Reconstruction knee,A,,17.10,14.35,NA,14.35,,3.64,35.09,35.09,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6314212,MA,99,REST OF MASSACHUSETTS,1.016,1.053,0.797
6408202,MI,01,DETROIT,1.000,0.965,1.686
6508202,MI,99,REST OF MICHIGAN,1.000,0.913,1.129
6606202,MN,00,MINNESOTA,1.000,1.029,0.296
6707302,MS,00,MISSISSIPPI,1.000,0.861,0.739
6805302,MO,02,METROPOLITAN KANSAS CITY,1.000,0.939,0.977
6905302,MO,01,METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS,1.000,0.952,1.002