CPT 27447 is total knee arthroplasty. In the imported 2026 CMS RVU data used by RVUinUSA, 27447 carries 19.11 work RVU, 11.58 practice expense RVU, and 4.02 malpractice RVU. This guide is for RVU, payment, orthopedic productivity, and compensation modeling after the total knee code is already supported by documentation, payer rules, implant context, and operative details. It is not coding advice and should not be used to decide whether primary total knee arthroplasty, revision work, bilateral treatment, assistant services, or another musculoskeletal CPT code is correct.
27447 RVU values in context
CPT 27447 is a high-work surgical procedure, so its RVU value can materially affect an orthopedic surgeon's annual productivity profile. The RVUinUSA imported data lists 19.11 work RVU, 11.58 non-facility practice expense RVU, 11.58 facility practice expense RVU, and 4.02 malpractice RVU for total knee arthroplasty. Work RVU is usually the key physician compensation input, while total RVU, GPCI, and conversion factor assumptions are needed for Medicare payment estimates.
- Use 19.11 wRVU only after CPT 27447 is independently supported.
- Model practice expense and malpractice components for payment, not just work RVU.
- Keep implant, assistant, bilateral, revision, and payer-policy questions separate from RVU interpretation.
CPT 27447 RVU components
Imported 2026 CMS values used by RVUinUSA for total knee arthroplasty modeling.
RVU values describe payment and productivity inputs after code selection. They do not determine the correct orthopedic procedure CPT code.
Read CPT RVU values as payment inputs
CPT-level RVU values explain payment and productivity impact after code selection. They do not replace documentation, payer policy, or coding review.
- Code selection
- Separate review
- Setting
- Facility or office
- Local estimate
- Apply GPCI
Compare orthopedic procedures by case mix
A total knee RVU search often belongs inside a broader orthopedic productivity review. CPT 27447 should be compared with related procedures only after the case type, site of service, global-period treatment, modifier assumptions, and practice environment are clear. A surgeon's annual wRVU production can change substantially depending on the mix of arthroplasty, sports, trauma, clinic E/M, injections, fracture care, and call-generated cases.
- Do not compare 27447 with other orthopedic CPT codes unless the case mix question is clear.
- Use the same RVU year, locality, setting, and participant assumptions when comparing payment estimates.
- Translate annual targets into realistic case volume and clinic workload before judging compensation.
Selected orthopedic RVU comparison
Procedure examples shown as RVU inputs before locality adjustment.
This table supports case-mix and payment modeling. Documentation, CPT rules, modifiers, and payer policy control code selection.
Translate 27447 into payment after GPCI
Medicare payment for 27447 is not work RVU multiplied by the conversion factor. The payment formula applies Work GPCI, PE GPCI, and MP GPCI to each component before the conversion factor. For total knee arthroplasty, malpractice RVU and practice expense RVU are large enough that locality assumptions can affect payment comparisons. Use a single setting and CMS locality when comparing 27447 against other procedures or against contract economics.
- Apply Work GPCI to 19.11 work RVU.
- Apply PE GPCI to the selected 11.58 PE RVU component.
- Apply MP GPCI to 4.02 malpractice RVU before multiplying by the conversion factor.
27447 payment formula
Use the RVU calculator or GPCI calculator for exact locality scenarios. Keep setting, GPCI, and participant assumptions unchanged when comparing procedures.
Use 27447 in orthopedic contract review
A total knee arthroplasty value can make an orthopedic productivity model look strong on paper, but the written agreement and practice environment decide whether the target is realistic. Review OR block time, implant workflow, anesthesia access, clinic-to-surgery conversion, referral depth, assistant coverage, call, global-period crediting, payer mix, and ramp-up assumptions. A high dollars-per-wRVU rate does not fix an unattainable target if case access is weak.
- Translate the annual wRVU target into expected total knee cases, other procedures, and clinic work.
- Confirm whether global-period, modifier, assistant, and revision rules affect credited wRVU.
- Separate Medicare payment estimates from physician compensation credit.
Run the total knee RVU workflow
Start with the CPT page for 27447 to confirm RVU components. Use the RVU calculator for payment estimates and the GPCI calculator for locality comparison. Use orthopedic specialty benchmarks when the question is annual wRVU production. Use the contract analyzer if the issue is threshold, ramp-up, call, guarantee, procedure access, or whether the agreement handles global-period and modifier rules clearly.
- Open CPT 27447 before comparing adjacent orthopedic procedure values.
- Use GPCI tools for locality-specific Medicare payment scenarios.
- Use specialty and contract tools when the RVU number affects compensation risk.
Total knee RVU workflow
Move from CPT-level RVU values to payment modeling, orthopedic benchmark context, and contract interpretation.