The swelling of arthritic joints due to fluid accumulation is the major pathologic changes in several arthritis conditions of knee. The synovial fluid analysis was performed from selected 77 patients of chronic arthritis of knee who registered or admitted to Chungnam National University Hospital during the 11 months from October 1980 to September 1981. And the synovial fluid were aseptically collected for studies.
Followings are the summary of the study:
1. Among 77 cases, 30 were diagnosed as degenerative arthritis, 25 as rheumatoid arthritis, 8 as non-specific synovitis, 8 as traumatic arthritis, 2 as tuberculous arthritis, and 4 as pyogenic arthritis.
2. By routine synovial fluid analysis, the patients with degenerative & traumatic arthritis were classified into the group of noninflammatory fluid and the patients with rheumatoid arthritis were classified into the inflammatory fluid group and the patients with tuberculous & pyogenic arthritis were classified into the group of infectious fluid.
3. In the age and sex distribution, there was not a specific difference, but degenerative arthritis of knee was noticed only over the 40 years old.
4. All cases of degenerative arthritis showed transparent yellow color, but cases of rheumatoid arthritis of knee revelaed transparent or turbid yellow or greenish color.
5. High viscosity was noticed in all cases of degenerative arthritis. Low viscosity was noticed in 19 cases (76%) of rheumatoid arthritis (25 cases).
6. Good mucin clot was shown In all cases of degenerative arthritis of knee. Poor mucin clot was revealed in 17 cases (67%) of rheumatoid arthritis.
7. W. B. C. was less than 2, 000 cells/mm3 in 27 cases (93%) of degenerative arthritis. But in cases (44%) of rheumatoid arthrits, W. B. C. was 2, 000-15, 000 cells/mm3. In diffdrential count of W. B. C. , ploymorphonuclear leukocyte was less than 25% in 19 cases (63%) of degenerative arthritis, but that was 25 to 75% in 13 cases(52%) of rheumatoidarthritis.
8. Glucose was more than 81mg% in 26 cases (87%) of degenerative arthritis and in 23 cases (29%) of rheumatoid arthritis, but in tuberculous and pyogenic arthritis that was less than 80mg%.
9. Mean total protein amount was 3.3mg% in degenerative arthritis. In the others, that was increased
i. e. , in rheumatoid arthritis (3. 7mo) in traumatic arthritis (3. 5mg%) and in tuberculous and pyogenic arthritis (4. 4mg%, 4. 6mg%, respectively).
Although these results of synovial fluid analysis could not give the conclusive & definite aid in differential diagnosis of chronic arthritis of knee, it was considered that they have only the value of an anxillary role in differential diagnosis associated with their specific symptoms of each type of arthritis.
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