Twenty-five synovectomies of the elbow were performed in twenty-one
patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and the patients were followed for two
to eleven years. All patients had an advanced stage of the disease, with
disintegration of cartilage and severe erosions of bone. The operations
were performed by the same surgeon using the same technique. Follow-up
studies revealed various degrees of improvement in all patients. The
improvement in motion was most evident in rotation of the forearm. Pain was
diminished in all but three patients. In five elbows a few degrees of
flexion and extension was lost. The favorable response to synovectomy was
retained throughout the follow-up period in twenty-four elbows. In only one
elbow was there recurrence of the synovial swelling, about eight years
after the operation.