[Surgical or isotopic synovectomy?]

A total of 40 patients were treated, suffering with chronic rheumatic arthropathies of the knee, by synoviorthesis with 198Au. The patients were followed for more than 3 years. Good results were obtained in 90% of the cases. The advantages are considered of the isotopic synovectomy (synoviorthesis with 198Au), as compared with surgical synovectomy. Isotopic synoviorthesis is a non-surgical procedure of destruction-reconstruction of the pathological synovial. The method has a local and a general immuno-depressing effect (reduction of the abnormal protein generation, of the chondrolytic activity of the synovial and of the permeability disturbances from various chronic exsudates in the knee articulation). The knee articulation is particularly well suited for the use of these therapeutical method. The secondary effects and the organism irradiation are minimal.