ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In recent years, knee arthroplasty is a relatively mature method for the treatment of various advanced osteoarthritis, and has good clinical efficacy. However, there is still a lot of controversy about whether to retain the synovial membrane. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effect of synovectomy in primary total knee arthroplasty on the blood loss and knee joint function in the patients with knee osteoarthritis. METHODS: Sixty patents with knee osteoarthritis were included, involving 25 males and 35 females, with an age of 55-70 years, and were then randomly divided into two groups (n=30 per group). The patients underwent total knee arthroplasty with (experimental group) or without (control group) synovectomy. The operation time, dominant, hidden and total bold loss, and hospitalization time were recorded. The Visual Analogue Scale scores at baseline, postoperative 3 days, 4 and 12 months were detected; the Hospital for Special Surgery scores at baseline, postoperative 4 and 12 months were determined. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) The operation time, as well as the dominant, hidden and total bold loss in the experimental group were significantly more than those in the control group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in hospitalization time between two groups (P > 0.05). (2) The Visual Analogue Scale scores at beseline and postoperative different time points showed no significant difference between two groups, and the postoperative scores were significantly improved in both groups (P < 0.05). (3) No significant difference was found in the Hospital for Special Surgery scores between two groups at baseline and postoperative different time points, and the postoperative scores in both groups were significantly higher than those at baseline (P < 0.05). (4) These results imply that the removal of synovial membrane during total knee arthroplasty can induce large amount of blood loss, and has no effect on the knee function in the patients with knee osteoarthritis.