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The role of synovitis in pathophysiology and clinical symptoms of osteoarthritis

Nature Reviews Rheumatology volume 6, pages 625–635 (2010)Cite this article

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Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA), one of the most common rheumatic disorders, is characterized by cartilage breakdown and by synovial inflammation that is directly linked to clinical symptoms such as joint swelling, synovitis and inflammatory pain. The gold-standard method for detecting synovitis is histological analysis of samples obtained by biopsy, but the noninvasive imaging techniques MRI and ultrasonography might also perform well. The inflammation of the synovial membrane that occurs in both the early and late phases of OA is associated with alterations in the adjacent cartilage that are similar to those seen in rheumatoid arthritis. Catabolic and proinflammatory mediators such as cytokines, nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2 and neuropeptides are produced by the inflamed synovium and alter the balance of cartilage matrix degradation and repair, leading to excess production of the proteolytic enzymes responsible for cartilage breakdown. Cartilage alteration in turn amplifies synovial inflammation, creating a vicious circle. As synovitis is associated with clinical symptoms and also reflects joint degradation in OA, synovium-targeted therapy could help alleviate the symptoms of the disease and perhaps also prevent structural progression.

Key Points

  • Substantial synovial inflammation can occur in early-stage osteoarthritis (OA), end-stage OA, or both

  • Synovitis triggers several symptoms and clinical signs of OA

  • OA synovitis can be assessed by MRI, ultrasonography and arthroscopy; however, the gold-standard method for detecting OA synovitis is histological analysis of biopsy-obtained samples

  • Synovial inflammation can predict cartilage breakdown in OA

  • OA synovitis perpetuates the processes of cartilage degradation

  • The OA synovium releases several soluble mediators that could hold promise as biomarkers or therapeutic targets

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Figure 1: Involvement of the synovium in OA pathophysiology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Rheumatology, Pierre & Marie Curie University, AP-HP Saint-Antoine Hospital, 184 rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, 75012, Paris, France

    Jérémie Sellam & Francis Berenbaum

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  1. Jérémie Sellam
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  2. Francis Berenbaum
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J. Sellam and F. Berenbaum contributed equally to researching data for the article, discussion of content, writing and review/editing of the manuscript before submission.

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Correspondence to Francis Berenbaum.

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Sellam, J., Berenbaum, F. The role of synovitis in pathophysiology and clinical symptoms of osteoarthritis. Nat Rev Rheumatol 6, 625–635 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2010.159

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