Knee arthroscopy cost without insurance
The median cash price for Knee arthroscopy is $3,172.60 across 432 US hospitals that publish a self-pay price. Most hospitals (the middle 80%) charge between $844.48 and $13,747.93.
Knee arthroscopy uses a small camera and tools through tiny cuts to trim or repair a torn meniscus, rebuild a torn ACL or smooth damaged cartilage. It is almost always same-day surgery. The price depends on what is done inside the knee, and ACL reconstruction costs much more than a simple meniscus trim.
Collected Sep 25, 2026 One price per hospital, from each hospital's own price file
Knee arthroscopy prices by type
29881 is arthroscopy with a meniscus trim and is used in the state table; 29880 trims both menisci; 29888 is ACL reconstruction; 29882 is a meniscus repair; and 29877 is cartilage smoothing.
| Procedure | Hospitals | Most charge | Median | Medicare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knee arthroscopy Knee arthroscopy with meniscus trim · code 29881 | 432 | $844.48–$13,747.93 | $3,172.60 | — |
| Knee arthroscopy (both menisci) Knee arthroscopy with removal of both torn meniscus parts · code 29880 | 408 | $803.33–$10,081.62 | $2,796.81 | — |
| ACL reconstruction Arthroscopic ACL reconstruction or repair of the knee · code 29888 | 427 | $1,583.26–$35,209.07 | $6,474.54 | — |
| Knee arthroscopy, meniscus repair Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair (one side of the knee) · code 29882 | 396 | $985.92–$22,076.13 | $3,549.59 | — |
| Knee arthroscopy, cartilage smoothing Knee arthroscopy with smoothing of damaged cartilage (chondroplasty) · code 29877 | 394 | $812.00–$10,722.12 | $3,265.60 | — |
“Most charge” is the middle 80% of hospitals (10th to 90th percentile), so one mistyped line in a hospital file cannot stretch it. Each hospital counts once, at its lowest outpatient cash price for the code. “Medicare” is Medicare's 2026 national base rate for the same service outside a hospital stay, including the patient's share (the hospital outpatient, lab or hospital clinic rate); “median 3×” means the median cash price is three times that rate.
Knee arthroscopy: median by state
States with at least two hospitals, cheapest median first. Pick a state for its knee arthroscopy prices and cheapest hospitals.
- Maine$503.15
- West Virginia$923.65
- Indiana$1,190.00
- Kentucky$1,190.00
- Pennsylvania$1,220.00
- Washington$1,242.40
- Iowa$1,329.60
- Montana$1,415.85
- Vermont$1,507.28
- Oregon$1,508.84
- Nebraska$1,748.57
- Michigan$1,800.40
- New York$1,869.25
- New Hampshire$2,100.00
- Arizona$2,276.39
- Ohio$2,390.25
- Minnesota$2,437.50
- Wisconsin$2,851.55
- Connecticut$3,175.00
- Massachusetts$3,410.00
- Nevada$3,559.00
- Maryland$3,619.98
- New Jersey$4,329.50
- Tennessee$4,571.44
- Arkansas$4,588.99
- California$5,148.00
- Alabama$5,527.87
- Texas$5,896.44
- Alaska$6,519.00
- Idaho$6,877.00
- Missouri$6,927.82
- Oklahoma$7,122.51
- South Carolina$9,669.58
- Kansas$10,649.83
- Mississippi$10,770.73
- Georgia$11,309.00
- Florida$13,146.36
- Illinois$13,734.88
- Virginia$14,278.10
- Delaware$14,452.45
Paying cash: what to do
- Ask for a bundled self-pay price that includes the surgeon, anesthesia, facility and follow-up visits; hospital file prices usually cover only the facility.
- Ask whether the price includes the brace, crutches and physical therapy after surgery.
- Ambulatory surgery centers usually charge much less than hospital outpatient departments for the same arthroscopy.
Questions
How long is recovery?
A few weeks after a meniscus trim, and six to nine months before full sports after an ACL reconstruction.
Does arthroscopy help knee arthritis?
Usually not for arthritis alone; physical therapy and other treatments are tried first.
Is a meniscus tear always operated on?
No. Many tears improve with physical therapy.