Study of the relationship between arthroscopic and histopathological changes in rheumatoid synovitis of the knee joint

ABSTRACT

The relationship between the arthroscopic appearance of both the synovium and the articular cartilage of the knee and the histopathological changes, in 30 seropositive R.A. patients, was carried out in this investigation. A significant correlation [P < 0.01] was found between total arthroscopic scores and total histopathological scores, but no significant correlation between total arthroscopic and individual histopathological scores. Active villous formation was significantly related [p<0.05]. to synovial cell lining. The intensity of lymphocytic infiltration was significantly related [[p<0.01] to both total arthroscopic score and active villous formation. No correlation between disease activity parameters and both arthroscopic and histopathological picture. Also no correlation between neither synovial hyperaemia nor articular cartilage changes and any of the histological features