Combination of medication and arthroscopic synovectomy in treatment of gouty arthritis

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of combination of medication and arthroscopic synovectomy in treatment of gouty arthritis.Methods Twenty-eight knees of 28 patients with gouty arthritis were treated with combination of medication and arthroscopic synovectomy.Compound betamethasone was injected into the knee joints after operation,and medication was given continually.All 28 cases were followed up for 6 months.Erythrocyte sedimentary rate(ESR),C-reactive protein(CRP)and uric acid(UA)were measured before and after operation;Ishikawa's scoring system for knee function was evaluated.Results Tenderness and swelling of the knees were relieved after operation.The levels of ESR,CRP and UA significantly decreased in the different period after operation(P0.05 or P0.01).The excellent and good rate of Ishikawa's scoring system was 92.9% 3 months after operation and 89.3% 6 months after operation.Conclusion Combination of medication and arthroscopic synovectomy demonstrates to be effective in treatment of gouty arthritis.