[Synovectomy of the knee joint in rheumatoid arthritis. Follow-up studies]

A total of 156 synovectomies were performed to treat recurrent swelling of the knee joints in 148 patients with rheumatic diseases. The late results observed in 112 patients (72%) re-examined after an average follow-up period of 6.2 years are discussed. The subjective and objective findings in patients undergoing early surgery proved to be superior to those seen after late synovectomy. Also in comparison with a group of patients submitted to synoviorthosis, surgical synovectomy, in particular when carried out at an early stage, showed more favorable results. For this reason, should conservative treatment fail, and recurrent swelling of the knee joints persist, early surgical intervention ist recommended.