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. 2025 Jun 23;35(1):268.
doi: 10.1007/s00590-025-04399-x.

Clinical observations on arthroscopic removal of urate deposits in the knee: a seven-case series

Wanping Lv  1 , Xiaolan Li  1 , Jianchun Chen  1 , Dan Shen  2
Affiliations

Clinical observations on arthroscopic removal of urate deposits in the knee: a seven-case series

Wanping Lv et al. Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol. .

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of arthroscopic removal of monosodium urate crystals on uric acid levels and acute flares in patients with gouty arthritis.

Methods: This was a case series study of seven male patients who underwent arthroscopic removal of monosodium urate crystals between March 2024 and July 2024. Physical examination, serology, musculoskeletal ultrasonography, and visual analog scale (VAS) scores were used to assess short- and long-term surgical outcomes. All patients received regular postoperative follow-up.

Results: Seven patients had a preoperative knee synovial thickness of (12.10 ± 2.03) mm and a VAS score of (7.43 ± 1.27). The postoperative wounds healed well and the patients were advised to control their diet and take uric acid-lowering medication regularly. The follow-up period was 3 months, during which none of the patients had recurrence of the clinical manifestations of gouty arthritis. One-week postoperative review showed a synovial thickness of (8.51 ± 1.39) mm and a VAS score of (1.86 ± 0.69). Serologic results showed a significant decrease in uric acid levels at one week postoperatively and at the last follow-up compared to preoperative levels (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.0001, respectively).

Conclusion: Arthroscopic removal of urate deposits can effectively reduce patients' uric acid levels and slow down their pain, and in combination with dietary and medication therapy can effectively control the recurrence of gouty arthritis, making it a It is a reliable surgical program for the treatment of gouty arthritis.

Keywords: Arthroscopy; Gouty arthritis; Prognosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflict of interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The Ethics Committee of xxx Rheumatism Hospital has reviewed and approved the ethical approval number CDFS-ETH-2024-05, and the approval date is January 6, 2025. Patient consent: The study does not have direct contact with the subjects, collects patient data in the case system, the results are only used for analyzing and exploring, and do not serve as any auxiliary diagnostic basis for any commercial use, and the results of the study will be removed from any characters with the subject’s identification, to ensure that personal privacy is not disclosed, so objectively there will be no risk to the subject, and the Ethics Committee has agreed and approved to waive the signing of the informed consent by the subjects.

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