Combined arthroscopic and radiation synovectomy in rheumatoid arthritis

In rheumatoid arthritis of the knee joint good results are obtained using arthroscopic synovectomy or radiation synovectomy. Aim of our study was to investigate, wether the combination of these two minimal invasive interventions achieves better results. First we performed arthroscopic synovectomy of the knee joint followed by radiation synovectomy with application of 111-222 MBq Yttrium-90 6 weeks later. In a prospective randomised clinical trial between 1987 and 1991 we performed radiation synovectomy on 22 knee joints and combined arthroscopic and radiation synovectomy on 26 knee joints. We explored the patients preoperatively, 6 weeks and 6 months postoperatively. In 1996 we evaluated 141 knee joints in a retrospective clinical trial. 90 Knee joints had been treated with the combined therapy, 39 only with radiation synovectomy and 12 only with arthroscopic synovectomy. Depending on the three different therapeutic interventions, the patients were classified into midterm (3-5 years) and long-term (6-8 years) observation groups. The trials are based on the standardized ARO-Questionnaire of the knee joint, the modified ARO Knee-Score and the radiological grading according to Larsen, Dale and Eek. In the prospective clinical trial we found significant better results for patients treated with the combined therapy than for patients treated with radiation synovectomy only regarding the parameter swelling, effusion, range of motion, pain and Knee-Score. In the long-term results of the retrospective clinical trial the patients treated with the combined therapy showed a significant better outcome for the parameters pain, swelling and Knee-Score, than the patients treated with radiation synovectomy. Although no statistically significant difference was found comparing the results of the combined therapy with arthroscopic synovectomy, an improvement of the clinical outcome can be observed performing arthroscopic synovectomy followed by radiation synovectomy. In the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis of the knee joint a better outcome is achieved performing combined arthroscopic and radiation synovectomy than performing only one of the methods.