Closed treatment of a distal femur fracture involving the medial or lateral condyle, performed without manipulation.
Verified May 8, 2026 · 5 sources ↓
- Medicare
- $581.51
- Total RVUs
- 17.41
- Global, days
- 90
- Region
- Knee
Documentation requirements
What must appear in the operative or office note to support the claim.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in 5 cited references ↓
- Imaging confirming distal femur fracture with medial or lateral condyle involvement
- Explicit statement that no manipulation was performed and clinical rationale for non-manipulative treatment
- Laterality documented — specify medial or lateral condyle and left vs. right limb
- Type of immobilization applied (cast, splint, or brace) and post-application assessment
- Neurovascular status of the extremity before and after treatment
- Fracture classification or descriptor (e.g., displaced vs. nondisplaced) supporting the chosen treatment approach
Applicable modifiers
Modifiers commonly billed with this code.
Source · AMA CPT modifier descriptors · CMS NCCI Policy Manual
What this code covers
Source · Editorial summary grounded in 5 cited references ↓
CPT 27508 covers closed treatment of a distal femoral fracture at the medial or lateral condyle when no manipulation is performed. The fracture is considered stable enough that reduction is not required — the goal is immobilization and protection of the fracture site, typically via casting, splinting, or bracing, to allow healing without surgical intervention or manual realignment.
Despite the absence of manipulation, this is classified as major surgery under AMA and federal coding conventions. That classification matters: a 90-day global period applies, covering all routine fracture management, cast changes, and follow-up visits through day 90. Any E/M visit on the same day as the initial fracture care decision requires modifier 57 if that visit drove the decision to treat. Unrelated procedures in the global window need modifier 79; related staged procedures need modifier 58.
Differentiate 27508 carefully from adjacent codes. Use 27510 when manipulation is performed on the same condylar fracture. Use 27509 when percutaneous skeletal fixation is added. Misapplying 27510 or 27509 to a no-manipulation scenario — or vice versa — is a common audit target. Diagnosis codes must specify laterality (medial vs. lateral condyle) and fracture type; unspecified condyle codes frequently trigger payer requests for additional documentation.
RVU & reimbursement
Component RVUs and Medicare national rate. Actual payment varies by GPCI locality.
Source · CMS Physician Fee Schedule, RVU26A · January 2026
| Work RVU | 6.05 |
| Practice expense RVU | 10.08 |
| Malpractice RVU | 1.28 |
| Total RVU | 17.41 |
| Medicare national rate | $581.51 |
| Global period | 90 days |
Payment by site of service
Medicare pays different rates by setting. HOPD typically pays substantially more than ASC for the same procedure.
Source · CMS OPPS Addendum B·ASC HCPCS payment rates·2026
| Setting | Medicare rate (national) |
|---|---|
Office (PFS non-facility) Procedure performed in physician's office | $581.51 |
HOPD (APC 5111) Hospital outpatient department | $252.01 |
ASC (PI A2) Ambulatory surgical center (freestanding) | $135.54 |
Common denial reasons
The recurring reasons claims for CPT 27508 get rejected.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in CMS NCCI edits, AAOS coding appeals, and cited references ↓
- ICD-10 diagnosis code lacks specificity — unspecified condyle or missing laterality
- Payer downcodes to cast/splint application code when operative note doesn't establish fracture care management
- E/M billed same-day without modifier 57, triggering bundling denial under the 90-day global
- 27510 (with manipulation) billed instead of 27508, or vice versa, when operative note is ambiguous about whether reduction was attempted
- Missing imaging documentation to support the condylar fracture diagnosis
Frequently asked questions
Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 5 cited references ↓
01Does 27508 have a global period, and what does it cover?
02When should I use 27508 vs. 27510?
03Can I bill an E/M on the same day as 27508?
04What diagnosis codes pair with 27508?
05Is 27508 appropriate when a cast is applied at the same visit?
06Can 27508 be billed bilaterally?
07If I see this patient after another provider did the initial fracture care, how do I bill?
Sources & references
Editorial content was developed using the following public sources. Last verified May 8, 2026.
- 01CMS Physician Fee Schedule 2026
- 02aapc.comhttps://www.aapc.com/codes/cpt-codes/27508
- 03emedny.orghttps://www.emedny.org/providermanuals/physician/pdfs/physician%20procedure%20codes%20sect5.pdf
- 04outsourcestrategies.comhttps://www.outsourcestrategies.com/blog/orthopedic-medical-coding-ideas-closed-treatment-fractures/
- 05findacode.comhttps://www.findacode.com/cpt/27508-cpt-code.html
Mira AI Scribe
Mira's AI scribe captures the fracture location (medial or lateral condyle, left or right), the explicit absence of manipulation, the immobilization method applied, and the neurovascular exam findings — all from dictation. That prevents the two most common denials: a condyle-unspecified ICD-10 code and a payer challenge that fracture care was never documented as distinct from a cast application.
See how Mira captures CPT 27508 documentation