Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40829889›Full record

Observational studyRMD open2025

Histological synovitis and radiographic damage in knee osteoarthritis: insights from a comprehensive analysis of ultrasound-guided synovial biopsies in 161 patients.

Pietro Rubortone, Enrico De Lorenzis, Flavia Leone, Barbara Tolusso, Dario Bruno, Marco Gessi, Maria-Antonietta D'Agostino, Stefano Alivernini, Marco Maria Lizzio

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in RMD open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. How Selective are Nanomaterials to Treat Osteoarthritis.International journal of nanomedicine · 2026
    Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Pietro RubortoneDivision of Rheumatology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy pietrorubortone@hotmail.it.ORCID 0000-0003-1500-4998
Enrico De LorenzisDivision of Rheumatology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-9819-105X
Flavia LeoneDivision of Rheumatology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.ORCID 0009-0000-4750-9304
Barbara TolussoImmunology Research Core Facility, Gemelli Science and Technology Park, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Lazio, Italy.
Dario BrunoDivision of Clinical Immunology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Lazio, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-6647-9208
Marco GessiInstitute of Pathology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Lazio, Italy.
Maria-Antonietta D'AgostinoDivision of Rheumatology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Stefano AliverniniDivision of Rheumatology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-7383-4212
Marco Maria LizzioDivision of Rheumatology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveSynovial inflammation plays a crucial role in osteoarthritis (OA) by producing key cytokines that mediate synovium-cartilage interaction and drive damage progression. In this study, we aimed to evaluate relationships between histological features of synovitis, radiographic damage and patients' clinical characteristics.

methodsThis observational cross-sectional study included consecutive patients with knee OA from 2016 to 2022. Enrolled patients were aged between 40 and 90 years, had chronic knee pain lasting at least 3 months and showed ultrasound evidence of synovitis. All patients underwent a general rheumatological evaluation, including the collection of clinical and laboratory data and ultrasound (US)-guided minimally invasive synovial tissue biopsy. The severity of synovitis was assessed by histology using the Krenn Synovitis Score (KSS).

resultsA total of 161 patients were considered for the analysis. The multivariate analysis showed that both US effusion and Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade were positively associated with histological synovitis. In contrast, age, sex, body mass index, levels of inflammatory markers, pain intensity and cardiovascular risk factors were not associated with histological synovitis. A strong positive correlation was found between KL grades and the KSS. A moderate positive correlation emerged between KL grades and the proportion of patients with lymphocytes and plasma cells in synovial tissue.

conclusionsMore severe histological synovitis in patients with non-end-stage knee OA is associated with worse radiographic structural damage. In the advanced stages of structural damage, the likelihood of detecting a lymphoplasmacytic inflammatory infiltrate in the synovial membrane increases. US-detected effusion serves as a marker of histological synovitis.

Indexed as

Osteoarthritis, KneeSynovial MembraneSynovitisAdultAgedAged, 80 and overCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansImage-Guided BiopsyKnee JointMaleMiddle AgedRadiographySeverity of Illness IndexUltrasonographyOsteoarthritis, KneeSynovitisUltrasonography

Identifiers

PMID40829889
PMCPMC12366559

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.