- radiopharmaceutical s. the treatment of abnormal synovial membranes by radiation derived from the instillation in the joint of a radiopharmaceutical, such as radiogold.
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n.
surgical removal of the synovium of a joint. This is performed in cases of chronic synovitis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, when other measures have been ineffective, in order to reduce pain in the joint and prevent further destruction.
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syn·o·vec·to·my (sin″o-vekґtə-me) [synovi- + -ectomy] excision of a synovial membrane, as of that lining the capsule of the knee joint, performed in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis of the knee, or of the synovial sheath of a tendon.Medical dictionary. 2011.