RADIOSYNOVIORTHESIS IN THERAPY FOR INFLAMMATORY JOINT DISORDERS

Abstract

Radiosynoviorthesis (RSO), also known as radiosynovectomy, is an approved method of treatment for inflammatory joint disorders that is commonly used both in the industrialized American and European countries as well as in the developing Asian and African countries. In terms of frequency of its use, this method ranks second among all the methods for radionuclide therapy in Germany. The treatment includes intra-articular administration of radiopharmaceuticals as microparticles (colloidal forms, macroaggregates, or microspheres) containing radioactive isotopes, which are rapidly phagocytized by the synovial membrane cells. Indications for therapy include inflammatory joint disorders of different genesis: rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, osteoarthritis and intra-articular effusion after joint endoprosthetics. RSO is the optimal method for local therapy for arthritis in patients with hemophilic arthropathy, since it both heals the inflammation and reduces the frequency of bleeding relapses. This aspect is of particular significance for the developing countries where the disease is often complicated by arthropathies due to the lack of coagulation factor. The main advantages include the low frequency of undesired reactions and low radiation burden to a patient. Depending on the degree to which a joint is affected, the frequency of responses to therapy is 50–80%, reaching 90% in patients with hemophilic arthropathy.