Clinical outcome after one year following samarium-153 particulate hydroxyapatite radiation synovectomy

The clinical outcome and tolerability following treatment with samarium-153 particulate hydroxyapatite was evaluated in patients with persistent rheumatoid knee synovitis. The clinical review of 18 patients treated with intra-articular samarium-153 particulate hydroxyapatite combined with triamcinolone hexacetonide who had failed to obtain more than 4 weeks symptom relief from a prior intra-articular glucocorticoid injection was undertaken. No unwanted effects from the treatment were observed. Symptom relief was maintained in 56% patients at 6 months and in 44% of patients at 12 months following treatment. Median duration of symptom relief was 9 months. There was a significantly higher mean baseline Ritchie Articular Index in patients relapsing within 3 months and a trend towards earlier relapse in patients with higher indices of disease activity at the time of treatment. There was a trend towards earlier relapse in patients with a poor range of knee flexion at baseline and with worse indices of intra-articular radiopharmaceutical distribution. Samarium-153 particulate hydroxyapatite knee synovectomy is well tolerated and may be an effective treatment for carefully selected patients with persistent rheumatoid knee synovitis.