Arthroscopic synovectomy in the treatment of patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

Since January 1982, operative arthroscopy in the knee joint has been performed by us to 22 patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, by whom synovectomy was considered to be indicated. The age of the patients varied from 5 to 16 years. In general anaesthesia, in the connection of arthroscopy, the abrasion of the hypertrophic synovial membrane was made by Stryker's chondrotome. The surgical debris was evacuated by suction. The mobilisation of the knee joint was started 2 days after the operation, and most of the patients walked on the fifth postoperative day. The arthroscopic synovectomy is considered to be a safe operation and, in our opinion, a good alternative method for synovectomy. Rehabilitation time is decisively shorter and, if necessary, operative arthroscopy can easily be repeated, without disturbing scars.