Sixty-seven patients who have had surgical synovectomy of the digital joints of the hand for rheumatoid disease have been presented in this clinical study. Three hundred and ninety joints are represented.
The results of synovectomy in these patients were evaluated according to six factors: relief of pain, progression of deformity, progression of roentgenographic changes, recurrence of synovial swelling, increase in range of motion, and gain in strength. When all six categories were considered collectively, 43.2 per cent of our patients had either excellent or good results.
The relationship of the result of surgical synovectomy to the systemic disease state of the individual patients and to the disease state in the operated joint is emphasized.