Arthroscopic Technique for the Treatment of Localized Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis of the Knee

Pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) is caused by a proliferation of the synovial membrane and can be a rare cause of pain and locking of the knee. In its localized form, it can be removed arthroscopically. We describe in detail a step-by-step arthroscopic technique applied to treat a 27-year-old patient who had been suffering from pain and episodes of locking for a year and whose left knee MRI revealed an intra-articular mass. The formation was completely enucleated arthroscopically and histological analyses confirmed the diagnosis of localized PVNS. There were no complications, and the patient was symptom-free at the six-month follow-up with no clinical or radiological evidence of recurrence.