[Significance of arthroscopy in the diagnosis of unilateral knee arthritis]
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 7, 2026
Clinical Effects of Ultrasound-Guided Acupotomy in Knee Osteoarthritis Treatment
Published on: April 26, 2024
Guo-Qiang Chen1, Hong-Wei Zhang, Zhi-Feng Li
1Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan 528000, China. cgqiang@fsyyy.com
Objective:
To investigate the role of arthroscopy in the diagnosis of unilateral knee arthritis of unknown causes.
Methods:
During December 2005 to February 2008,74 patients of unilateral knee arthritis of unknown origins were treated with arthroscopy. And magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were performed for all of them before knee arthroscopy. The diagnosis was made by the synovial appearance in gross examination in arthroscopy combined with synovial pathology, synovial fluid analysis and clinical manifestations.
Results:
Among these patients, 71 cases were definitely diagnosed and 3 cases had unknown causes. Thirty-nine cases (52.9%) were of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 7 (9.5%) of seronegative spondyloarthropathy (SPA), 7 patients (9.5%) of septic arthritis, 6 patients (8.1%) of RA coexisting gout arthritis, 5 patients (6.5%) of gout arthritis, 5 patients (6.5%) of tuberculosis of knee joint, 1 patient (1.3%) of pigmented villonodular synovitis and 1 patient (1.3%) of multicentric reticulohistiocytosis.
Conclusion:
Arthroscopy provides valuable diagnostic information in unilateral knee arthritis of unknown causes. RA is the major cause of unilateral knee arthritis of unknown causes. Synovial appearance in gross examination in arthroscopy, synovial pathology and crystals are helpful to make a diagnosis.