Vol.21 No.6

Original Article

Short-term outcome of finger joint synovectomy in rheumatoid arthritis

Authors

Natsuko Nakagawa¹ , Hironobu Yokoyama¹ , Shigeru Matsuda¹ , Yasuhiro Terashima¹ , Kozo Kohyama¹ , Shigeaki Imura¹

Received:

18 August 2010

Accepted:

1 March 2011

Published online:

6 April 2011

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Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) frequently affects finger joints, and persistent synovitis is believed to cause not only bone destruction but also various deformities of the fingers in the long run. Synovectomy of the finger joints is carried out when chronic swelling of the synovium does not respond to any conservative treatment with medication and rehabilitation. In the present study the short-term results of finger joint synovectomy in RA were reviewed in 49 finger
joints. The subjects were evaluated at two time points, with
average follow-up periods of 14 and 62 months, and the
results were compared between the two follow-up time
points. In regard to results, pain relief, swelling abatement, and only a little loss of motion were observed in most fingers. Moreover, only a few patients demonstrated progression of bone destruction, suggesting that synovectomy has a retarding effect and tends to be effective especially in the early stages of the disease. In conclusion, we recommend synovectomy for finger joints in RA patients before bone changes occur, and when chronic synovitis of the finger joints does not respond to any other conservative treatment.

Key words

Rheumatoid arthritis - Synovectomy - Finger joint