~9,200
Median wRVUs / yr
Joint replacement, sports, trauma, and spine — every major ortho CPT with current CMS wRVU values, plus the salary and benchmark data you actually need to evaluate an offer.
Compensation and productivity benchmarks pulled from public physician surveys and the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.
The codes that drive the bulk of orthopedic surgery billing, with current Work RVU values from the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Use these as a baseline — locality (GPCI) and modifiers adjust the final payment.
| Code | Description | wRVU | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27130 | Total hip arthroplasty | 19.60 | Procedure |
| 27447 | Total knee arthroplasty | 19.60 | Procedure |
| 27486 | Revision total knee, one component | 21.12 | Procedure |
| 23472 | Total shoulder arthroplasty | 22.13 | Procedure |
| 29827 | Shoulder arthroscopy with rotator cuff repair | 15.59 | Procedure |
| 29881 | Knee arthroscopy with meniscectomy | 7.03 | Procedure |
| 29888 | ACL reconstruction, arthroscopic | 14.30 | Procedure |
| 25607 | ORIF distal radius fracture | 9.56 | Procedure |
| 27244 | ORIF intertrochanteric femoral fracture | 18.18 | Procedure |
| 20610 | Major joint injection / aspiration | 0.79 | Procedure |
| 20611 | Major joint injection with US guidance | 1.10 | Procedure |
| 99213 | Office visit, est. patient, low (20 min) | 1.30 | E&M |
| 99214 | Office visit, est. patient, moderate (30 min) | 1.92 | E&M |
Source: 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (CMS). Values reflect the national, unadjusted Work RVU.
Where orthopedic surgery productivity falls across the percentile distribution. Most RVU-based contracts target the median (50th percentile); high-volume practices push into the 75th-90th range.
MGMA-aligned 2024 estimates. Verify with your group's data source for contract negotiations.
Typical total compensation ranges across a orthopedic surgery career. Numbers blend salary, RVU productivity, and bonus components reported in physician surveys.
First 1-3 years out of training. Base-heavy contracts; productivity bonuses begin to ramp.
Years 4-10. RVU-based comp dominates as case volume settles into a steady pattern.
10+ years, partnership track, ASC ownership, or high-volume practice settings.
Ranges synthesized from Doximity 2024 and AMGA / MGMA-aligned compensation reports. Actual offers vary by region, practice setting, and case mix.
Most RVU tools were built for one type of day. RVU Tracker handles the mix of clinic, procedures, and inpatient work that actually shows up on a orthopedic surgery schedule.
Save your most-used codes as quick-add buttons. Log a visit in seconds between patients.
Add multiple codes per encounter; the tracker sums correctly with MPPR awareness when relevant.
Tag clinic vs. procedure days and see productivity per session. Decide where to add capacity.
Every code ships with current Work RVU values. Year-over-year updates roll out automatically.
Set your wRVU threshold. The tracker shows monthly pace and projects year-end totals.
Plug in your conversion factor and see real-time earnings. Compare offers during contract review.
A few high-leverage details that quietly cost RVUs (and revenue) when missed.
When two procedures on the same day are clinically distinct (e.g., 29881 medial meniscectomy + 29882 lateral meniscus repair, different compartments), use -59 (or -XS) on the second. Without it, payers bundle automatically.
For bilateral knee or hip injections (20610-50), Medicare pays 150% of unilateral, not 200%. Your tracker should reflect this; otherwise bilateral days look more productive than they actually pay.
Major joint replacements carry 90-day globals. Post-op visits during that window aren't separately billable unless related to a new problem. Track the global window so you don't overstate post-op clinic productivity.
Closed fracture care codes (e.g., 25600, 27500) include initial reduction, casting, and 90-day follow-up as a global. Don't unbundle the casting (29065) on day 0 — it's included.
2026 CMS data pre-loaded for every code. Designed for the cadence of a real orthopedic surgery day.