synovial membrane; Rheumatoid arthritis – synovial biopsy; Gout – synovial biopsy; Joint infection – synovial biopsy; Synovitis – synovial biopsy
A synovial biopsy is the removal of a piece of tissue lining a joint for examination. The tissue is called the synovial membrane.
How the Test is Performed
The test is done in the operating room, often during an arthroscopy. During this procedure:
- You will receive general anesthesia. This means you’ll be pain-free and asleep during the procedure.
- The surgeon makes a tiny cut in the skin near the joint.
- An instrument called a trocar is inserted through the cut into the joint.
- A tiny camera with a light is used to look inside the joint.
- A tool called a biopsy grasper is then inserted through the trocar. The grasper is used to cut a small piece of tissue.
- The surgeon removes the grasper along with the tissue. The trocar and any other instruments are removed. The skin cut is closed and a bandage is applied.
- The sample is sent to a lab for examination.
How to Prepare for the Test
Follow your health care provider’s instructions on how to prepare. This may include not eating and drinking anything for several hours before the procedure.
How the Test will Feel
With the local anesthetic, you will feel a prick and a burning sensation. As the trocar is inserted, there will be some discomfort. If the surgery is performed under regional or general anesthesia, you will not feel the procedure.
Why the Test is Performed
A synovial biopsy helps diagnose gout and bacterial infections or rule out other infections. It can be used to diagnose autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, or uncommon infections like tuberculosis.
Normal Results
The synovial membrane structure is normal.
What Abnormal Results Mean
The synovial biopsy may identify the following conditions:
- Chronic synovitis (inflammation of the synovial membrane)
- Coccidioidomycosis (a fungal infection)
- Fungal arthritis
- Gout
- Hemochromatosis (abnormal buildup of iron deposits)
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (an autoimmune disease that affects the skin, joints, and other organs)
- Tuberculosis
- Synovial cancer (a very rare type of soft tissue cancer)
- Rheumatoid arthritis
Risks
There is a very slight chance of infection and bleeding.
Considerations
Follow instructions for keeping the wound clean and dry until your provider says it is OK to get it wet.
FAQ
What happens if the synovial membrane is damaged?
- When any part of the synovial joint becomes damaged, it can cause parts of the joint to wear down, leading to pain and limited mobility. The most common cause of synovial joint pain is overuse.
What causes inflammation of the synovial membrane?
- In an active, healthy person, the most common cause of synovitis is overuse of the joint, for example in athletes or people whose jobs involve repetitive stress movements such as lifting or squatting. However, synovitis is also common in people who have some form of inflammatory arthritis.
What is the surgical removal of a synovial membrane?
- Joint synovectomy is the surgical removal of the synovial membrane, the tissue that lines the joint capsule.
What does synovial membrane mean?
- Listen to pronunciation. (sih-NOH-vee-ul MEM-brayn) A layer of connective tissue that lines the cavities of joints, tendon sheaths, and bursae (fluid-filled sacs between tendons and bones).
Is synovitis an autoimmune disease?
- It is an inherited autoinflammatory disorder that may also be considered an autoimmune disease. Chronic synovitis – is a general term describing diseases involving joint inflammation in children.
Does synovitis ever go away?
- Synovitis can go away on its own, but if the symptoms linger, treatment may be necessary. Treatment for synovitis depends on the underlying cause. In most cases, treatments are geared to decrease inflammation, lessen swelling, and manage pain.
What are the signs of synovitis?
- Symptoms of synovitis include joint pain, joint swelling, stiffness, redness, and warmth. These symptoms often last a short period of time, and maybe felt in different joints at different times.
What is the difference between arthritis and synovitis?
- But there is a difference between synovitis and arthritis. Synovitis describes prominent joint inflammation in which the most dramatic inflammation is of the synovium. This is a thin layer of cells that lines our joints. Some types of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis, cause little if any synovial inflammation.
Is synovitis a disability?
- Although it is generally believed that persisting inflammatory synovitis causes joint damage and subsequent disability, the strength of their relationship has not been fully or systematically evaluated.
Is synovectomy a major surgery?
- This procedure can be performed in several ways, namely surgical synovectomy, chemical synovectomy, and radiological. The surgical procedure can be performed arthroscopically or by opening the joint to remove the synovial tissue surrounding the joint that has become inflamed and swollen.
Can you get synovitis after knee replacement?
- Pigmented villonodular synovitis is rare after replacement arthroplasty and has not been recognized and reported as a cause of failure of unicompartmental knee replacement in the literature.
What does the synovial fluid do?
- Synovial fluid, also known as joint fluid, is a thick liquid located between your joints. The fluid cushions the ends of bones and reduces friction when you move your joints. Synovial fluid analysis is a group of tests that checks for disorders that affect the joints.
What does synovial mean in medical terms?
- Definition of synovial of, relating to, or secreting synovial fluid synovial membranes also: lined with synovial membrane.
Is synovial membrane avascular?
- Synovial membrane showing the fibrous and the intimal layer. The synovium is vascularized, unlike the avascular articular cartilage (the other inner joint cavity surface tissue).
Does synovitis show up on MRI?
- MRI-observed synovitis is almost invariable in those with active rheumatoid arthritis, but recent studies have also demonstrated its presence in patients in clinical remission, emphasizing the sensitivity of this technique and the importance of subclinical joint inflammation.
What is the most common cause of synovitis?
Synovitis Causes
- Synovitis is a major problem in rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile arthritis, lupus, and psoriatic arthritis. It may also be associated with rheumatic fever, tuberculosis, trauma, or gout. Rheumatoid arthritis involves synovitis.
