Angiography in synovitis of the knee

In inappropriately treated synovitides of the knee joint with shift towards a villonodular inversion, an inflammatory angiographic symptomatology may be expected which is different according to the seriousness of the illness including (1) local hyperaemia, (2) deviation of arteries, (3) morphologic and formative vascular inversions and (4) diffusion of the contrast material into synovitic conglomerates and (5) shunts. From these findings the stadia of synovitis may be evaluated, including the extent and place of the villonodular inversion in the clinically or arthrographically inaccessible sites. Differential-diagnostic contributions to the origin of the synovitis cannot be expected from angiography and biochemical as well as bacteriological methods (cultivation) remain necessary. Despite this, angiography has its supplementary value in all cases where an analysis of synovitis is impossible by other means and also in all cases, where the extent of the synovitic changes must be evaluated for an operative treatment.