Synovial chondromatosis / orthopaedic surgeon visit

[acousmetre]

Hi,  RosieA suggested I share news about my visit to the orthopaedic surgeon which was yesterday. The surgeon said that since the medication that I've been taking for psoriatic arthritis (sulfasalazine, methatrexate and golimumab) has had seen no reduction in the inflammation of the synovium in my elbow over a two year period and that there has been an increase in the number of calcified and non-calcified bodies in the synovial fluid, that surgery is a necessary step. This will be either arthroscopic or open surgery and will involve a synovectomy and the removal of all of the loose bodies in the joint. When I asked if he thought that it is primary or secondary synovial chondromatosis, he said there is no way of telling before a biopsy is done. My elbow has characteristics of both types and he said that the secondary synovial chondromatosis symptoms may actually be a result of progression from the primary type, rather than from psoriatic arthritis.

Because I have an unrelated surgery booked for October and because it's a public hospital (a very good one specialised in orthopaedic and neurological surgery and rehabilitation), there's going to be a long wait involved, so I'll have time to consider whether or not to do it. At this stage I'm inclined to go ahead with it as it's less than 3 months since I had a steroid shot and the pain is already returning. I also suspect it's just going to get worse the longer I leave it.

Cheers,