Radionuclide Synovectomy (Radiosynoviorthesis) in Hemophilia: A Very Efficient and Single Procedure

Radionuclide synovectomy, so-called radioactive synoviorthesis, is easy to perform and a not very expensive procedure (for example, 150 US dollars for an adult knee). Moreover, it is very efficient in diminishing the frequency and intensity of recurrent hemarthrosis related to chronic hypertrophic hemophilic synovitis. It should be performed as soon as possible in order to try to halt the long-term damage that intra-articular blood will produce in the involved joint. Personal experience and the general recommendation among orthopedic surgeons and hematologists is that when three early consecutive synoviortheses (repeated every 3 months) fail to halt synovitis, a surgical synovectomy (open or by arthroscopy) should be immediately considered.