What is yttrium-90 radiosynovectomy therapy?
Yttrium-90 radiosynovectomy therapy is used to treat painful joints caused by arthritis or other types of joint disease. It aims to reduce joint inflammation by destroying the tissue that causes it. It can also relieve severe pain.
How does yttrium-90 radiosynovectomy therapy work?
Inflammation is a protective response in the body. It increases blood and fluids in a particular area. But it also causes pain from the increased swelling.
The fluid that lubricates the joints and allows them to move freely is produced by the synovial membrane. Synovitis is when the synovial membrane becomes inflamed. It’s a symptom of certain types of arthritis or joint disease.
Pain from synovitis can be treated with yttrium-90 radiosynovectomy therapy. It uses yttrium-90, an isotope that releases beta radiation that destroys inflamed tissue and stops the release of fluids. This reduces joint inflammation.
Yttrium-90 is injected into the joint cavity. The radiation that it releases destroys the diseased area over about four weeks. The body replaces it with healthy synovium which is disease and pain-free.
Further information
The radiation used in yttrium-90 radiosynovectomy therapy has a very high energy level, which makes it very destructive. But it only travels very short distances. This means damage to healthy tissue is kept to a minimum.
Yttrium-90 radiosynovectomy therapy is effective in destroying unhealthy tissue. Like all radiation treatments, there may be some minor side-effects.
A rare potential side-effect is radiation dermatitis. This is a skin reaction to the radiation. Another extremely rare complication is septic arthritis, when the joint becomes infected. Both of these side-effects can be minimised by using particular injection techniques. Your doctor will explain any potential side-effects before you begin treatment.
You might be offered yttrium-90 radiosynovectomy therapy if you have severe joint pain from arthritis or another joint disease. It can be used as an alternative to surgery that involves the synovium being removed.
Yttrium-90 radiosynovectomy therapy is also an alternative for patients with medical conditions where surgery is not an option, such as heart problems.
Your doctor will explain exactly what’s involved, including any side-effects.
The radiation used in yttrium-90 radiosynovectomy therapy has a very high energy level, which makes it very destructive. But it only travels very short distances. This means damage to healthy tissue is kept to a minimum.
Yttrium-90 radiosynovectomy therapy is effective in destroying unhealthy tissue. Like all radiation treatments, there may be some minor side-effects.
A rare potential side-effect is radiation dermatitis. This is a skin reaction to the radiation. Another extremely rare complication is septic arthritis, when the joint becomes infected. Both of these side-effects can be minimised by using particular injection techniques. Your doctor will explain any potential side-effects before you begin treatment.
You might be offered yttrium-90 radiosynovectomy therapy if you have severe joint pain from arthritis or another joint disease. It can be used as an alternative to surgery that involves the synovium being removed.
Yttrium-90 radiosynovectomy therapy is also an alternative for patients with medical conditions where surgery is not an option, such as heart problems.
Your doctor will explain exactly what’s involved, including any side-effects.
