SOMOS Annual meeting
Tracking Pixel
presents
Wheeless' Textbook of Orthopaedics

Synovium of the Knee





- See:
   - Bursae of the knee:
   - Pigmented Villonodular synovitis

- Discussion:
- synovial cavity is deepest layer of joint capsule & it often has several
   embryological invaginations called plica that persist into adult life;
   - these may cuase anterior knee symptoms,
- although synovium membrane is attached all around, above to articular
    margins of femur and below to articular margins of tibia, it is not
    everywhere coextensive w/ capsule or ligament and tendons;
- on lateral & medial sides of joint, it lies on inner surface of capsular
    ligament except where it is interrupted by attachments of meniscii
    and separated from capsule on lateral side by tendon of popliteus muscle;
    - it swings anteriorly, covering deep surface of tendons lateral to
        & above patella, & attaches to articular margins of patella;
- below the patella it covers deep surface of infrapatellar pad of fat
    that lies on the deep surface of the ligamentum patellae;
- on each side of infrapatellar fat, horizontal alar fold is identified;
- because of folds of synovial membrane, synovial cavity is not simple,
    short, cylindrical cavity;
    - behind and above the patella, it is single cavity that is usually
        continuous above w/ suprapatellar bursa between the tendon of
        quads & femur;
- below patella, synovial cavity is divided into lateral & medial
    compartments by the infrapatellar synovial fold;
- posteriorly, synovial cavity is divided into two compartments by fold
    that contains the cruciate ligaments;
- cruciate ligaments, meniscii, & infrapatellar fat pad are
    outside the synovial cavity;

----------------------------
Villous lipomatous proliferation of the synovial membrane (lipoma
  arborescens).

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

A prospective clinical five year follow up study after open synovectomy
     of the knee joint in patients with chronic inflammatory joint disease.
     The prognostic power of clinical, arthroscopic, histologic and
     immunohistologic variables.





Original Text by Clifford R. Wheeless, III, MD.

Last updated by Data Trace Staff on Wednesday, December 3, 2008 1:52 pm