Synovectomy of the rheumatoid knee using intra-articular injection of dysprosium-165-ferric hydroxide macroaggregates

J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1987 Sep;69(7):970-5.

Abstract

One hundred and eleven patients who had seropositive rheumatoid arthritis and persistent synovitis of the knee were treated with intra-articular injection of 270 millicuries of dysprosium-165 bound to ferric hydroxide macroaggregates. A two-year follow-up was available for fifty-nine of the treated knees. Thirty-nine had a good result; nine, a fair result; and eleven, a poor result. Of the twenty-five knees that had Stage-I radiographic changes, nineteen had a good result. Of the thirty-four knees that had Stage-II radiographic changes, twenty showed a good result. Systemic spread of the radioactivity from the injected joint was minimum. The mean whole-body dose was calculated to be 0.3 rad and that to the liver twenty-four hours after injection, 3.2 rads. The results indicated that dysprosium-165-ferric hydroxide macroaggregate is an effective agent for performing radiation synovectomy, particularly in knees that have Stage-I radiographic changes. Because of the minimum rate of systemic spread of the dysprosium-165, it offers a definite advantage over agents that previously have been used.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Arthritis, Rheumatoid / radiotherapy*
  • Dysprosium / therapeutic use*
  • Female
  • Ferric Compounds / therapeutic use
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Knee Joint*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Radioisotopes / therapeutic use*
  • Radiotherapy Dosage
  • Synovial Membrane / radiation effects*

Substances

  • Ferric Compounds
  • Radioisotopes
  • Dysprosium
  • ferric hydroxide