[Synovectomy and prosthetic substitution of rheumatic knee joints (author's transl)].

Synovectomy and alloarthroplasty are the prinicpal forms of surgical treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) of the knee joint. The aim of both procedures is the reduction or elimination of the painful condition, the quantitative reduction of analgesics and hormone preparations, and improvement of function. Synovectomy removes the principal pathogenetic area of RA. The indications, contra-indications, valve technique of the two methods are gone into. The problems of rehabilitation are referred to.