Inflammation of the synovial tissue is called synovitis, and the main symptom is fluid accumulation in the joint. Synovial membranes are found in joints with chambers, so these joints are called synovial joints. When synovitis occurs, it usually causes pain, especially when the joint is moving. Because of synovial fluid, swelling of the joint may occur when synovitis occurs. Signs and Symptoms When synovitis occurs, the joint may become painful with pressure, swelling, nodules and increased skin temperature and limited movement. The main difference between synovitis and other joint diseases is the swelling around the joint and the increase in skin temperature that can occur. In addition, the joint may become stiff and may feel floating when the patella is pressed. Causes The knee is the most common site of synovitis because it is the joint with the largest number of synovial membranes and the most complex structure of the joint surface. Because of its superficial location, the knee joint is susceptible to a variety of injuries or infections that can lead to synovitis. Synovitis can occur when the knee joint is damaged. Synovitis can also occur with osteoarthritis, lupus erythematosus, psoriatic arthritis, gout, tuberculosis, rheumatic fever, and other diseases. Synovitis is more common in rheumatoid arthritis than in other forms of arthritis and is therefore a characteristic manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis. In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation of the synovial tissue occurs throughout the body and gradually worsens, making the patient very painful. Prolonged attacks of synovitis and inflammatory stimulation produce enzymes that erode cartilage and bone and can lead to chronic pain and degeneration of the joint. Diagnosis In diagnosing synovitis of the knee, the physician can make a preliminary diagnosis by taking a medical history and by finding redness, swelling, heat, pain, and impaired motion in the knee during a physical examination. A test called the “floating patella test” is usually performed to easily distinguish between increased joint fluid and muscle swelling by applying pressure to the patella. If necessary, X-rays, ultrasound, and bone scans can be performed to help rule out other bone or joint disorders. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be performed in patients with synovitis who do not have obvious signs and symptoms. Synovitis of the hip often occurs in children, and the main symptom is pain. In some children, the pain can develop very quickly. When synovitis is severe, it can cause children to have difficulty walking and to be reluctant to stand. They lie in a particular position to relieve the pain. Diagnosis relies heavily on ruling out other possible more serious conditions in the child, as synovitis is the relatively most common cause. Treatment 1. Avoid prolonged strenuous exercise Prolonged, excessive, strenuous exercise or activity is one of the underlying causes of synovial degeneration. Especially for weight-bearing joints (such as knee joints and hip joints), excessive exercise increases the force on the joint surface and intensifies wear and tear. Long-term strenuous exercise can also make the bones and surrounding soft tissues overly stressed and strained, resulting in local soft tissue damage and uneven stress on the bone and iliac, which leads to osteophytes. 2, appropriate physical exercise Avoid long-term strenuous exercise, not inactivity, on the contrary, appropriate physical exercise is one of the good ways to prevent osteophytes. Because the nutrition of joint cartilage comes from the joint fluid, and the joint fluid can only enter the cartilage by “squeezing” to promote the metabolism of cartilage. Proper exercise, especially joint exercise, can increase the pressure in the joint cavity, which is conducive to the penetration of joint fluid into the cartilage, reducing the degenerative changes in the articular cartilage, thus reducing or preventing synovitis, especially the hyperplasia and degenerative changes in the articular cartilage. 3, timely treatment of the original cause of synovitis (joint effusion) because synovitis can occur along with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus, psoriatic arthritis, gout, tuberculosis and other diseases. Synovitis is only a manifestation of various diseases in the joints, so active treatment of the primary disease is the key. It can be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, commonly aspirin, ibuprofen and glucocorticoids. Fluid in the joint cavity can be drained by puncture, but this is only a temporary treatment modality to improve symptoms. For more severe patients, intra-articular glucocorticoid injections or arthroscopic surgery to remove inflamed tissue may be required. If the damage is excessively severe, especially in knee cartilage, artificial joint replacement surgery may be required. Therefore, diagnosis and treatment in the early stages of the disease is quite relevant, and the decision about the treatment depends mainly on the cause and severity of the synovitis. In conclusion, for patients with synovitis (joint effusion), no matter which cause you have, the Hospital’s Joint Surgery Department will identify the specific cause and provide individualized treatment plans, offering a full range of solutions from conservative medication, intra-articular puncture, minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery, to artificial joint replacement surgery.