The results of synovitis of the knee joints were reviewed in 58 joints of 52 patients d(16 male and 36 female patients) who had been treated with arthroscopic shnovectomy between May 1988 and September 1992.
1. 27 patients were rheumatoid arthritis; 13 patients were tuberculosis; 9 patients were non-specific synovitis; the other 3 were 1 pigmented willonodular synovitis, 1 synovial osteochondromatosis and 1 arborescent lipoma.
2. the preoperative symptoms were pain (96.5%), swelling (87.9%), joint tenderness (81.1%) and decreased range of motion (63.8%), and symptoms were improved postoperatively.
3. The grade of articular cartilage damage was related with severity of pre-operative symptoms and the patients with low grade articular cartilage damage showed more post-operastive improvement.
4. During follow-up, no significant radiologic change was shown in rheumatoid arthritis group.
5. In tuberculous arthritis group, E.S.R. (erythrcy te sedimentation rate) was decreased; R.O.M. (range of motion) was not much improved at final follow0up; and recurrence rate was high (30%).
6. Six patients required repeated surgery. Of them, two (1 patient with rheumatoid arthritis and 1 patient with tuberculosis) required total knee arthroplasty for improvement of pain and limitation of motion.
We concluded that arthroscopic synovectomy is considered to be a very useful method in early diagnosis and treatment for unknown synovitis, and in treatment for various synovial diseases of the knee.
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