title: [A 2-year follow-up results of knee arthroscopic synovectomy plus disease modifying antirheumatic drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the clinical efficacy of knee arthroscopic synovectomy plus disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 97 RA patients were treated with knee arthroscopic synovectomy plus DMARD after arthroscopy. The control group received only DMARD. The patients were assessed at pre-treatment and 1, 6, 12, 24 month post-treatment. Tender joint count, swollen joint count, morning stiffness, resting pain, patient global assessment, physician global assessment, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor (RF) and disease activity score (DAS) 28 were observed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tender joint count, swollen joint count, morning stiffness, resting pain, patient global assessment, physician global assessment and DAS 28 score improved significantly at 1, 6 month post-treatment in the combined treatment group versus the control group. At 2 years post-treatment, there was still significant difference in DAS28 between two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combined treatment of knee arthroscopic synovectomy and disease modifying antirheumatic drugs can control the disease activity of RA during an early period. And a long-term efficacy may be maintained.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology & Immunology, the First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, China. cgqiang@fsyyy.com
authors.forename: Guo-qiang
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hong-wei
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhi-feng
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yang-tao
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Dong-mei
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D001182:Arthroscopy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000074402:Synovectomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents