A controlled trial of joint aspiration in acute haemophilic haemarthrosis

Exposure of human cartilage tissue to low concentrations of blood for a short period of time leads to prolonged cartilage damage: an in vitro study

OBJECTIVE

Joint bleeding, or hemarthrosis, leads in time to severe joint damage. This study was carried out to test the in vitro thresholds of exposure time and concentration that lead to irreversible joint damage, to add to the discussion on the usefulness of aspiration of the joint after a hemorrhage.

METHODS

Explants of healthy human articular cartilage tissue were cultured in the presence or absence of 50% (volume/volume) blood for 1, 2, 3, or 4 days or in the presence of 0%, 5%, 10%, 20%, 30%, or 50% (v/v) blood for 4 days, followed by a 12-day period of recovery after withdrawal of blood. The effect of blood exposure on cartilage was determined by measuring the rate of proteoglycan synthesis as well as the release and content of cartilage matrix proteoglycans and the activity of matrix metalloproteinases.

RESULTS

Exposure of cartilage to 50% (v/v) blood led to adverse changes that were largely independent of the exposure time. The adverse effects persisted after an initial exposure of up to or exceeding 2 days. Exposure of cartilage to increasing concentrations of blood for 4 days led to concentration-dependent adverse changes. These effects persisted when the concentration equaled or exceeded 10% (v/v) blood. Moreover, after 2 days of exposure to a blood load of 10% (v/v), the adverse effects on cartilage were not reversible.

CONCLUSION

A 2-day exposure of cartilage in vitro to 10% (v/v) blood leads to prolonged impairment of joint cartilage. This suggests that aspiration of blood from the joint within 2 days after hemarthrosis should be considered to prevent blood-induced joint damage in the long term.

Hemophilic ankle arthropathy

Ankle arthropathy remains a frequent source of disability in the hemophilic patient. Bleeding into the ankle most commonly commences in the second decade, and, once established as a target joint, progressive damage leads to significant pain, stiffness, and deformity affecting general mobility and leisure and occupational pursuits. Review of cohorts of hemophilic patients at the Royal Free Hospital has monitored this deterioration and there is no evidence that, despite improvements in medical treatment, the pattern of insidious decline in hindfoot function has changed during the past 4 decades. Based on these observations, a combined clinical and radiologic scoring system has been developed, incorporating ankle specific features, such as talar tilt, tibial osteophytes, and talar dome flattening, which give a better correlation than traditional systems with objective measures, such as treadmill walking. There is no substitution for prophylactic treatment in arresting ankle function decline, and surgical interventions are rare. However, the types of potential procedures are numerous and choices must be made according to the degree of disability and state of overall damage to the joint and adjacent soft tissues.

Traumatic joint effusion and the synovium

The morphology and function of synovial membrane is considered for its roles in development of traumatic joint effusions. Careful diagnostic study, including analysis of synovial fluid, is needed to be certain that one is dealing with uncomplicated traumatic effusion. Conservative treatment with cold application, rest and aspiration, seems effective and in line with known, basic experimental work for this generally self-limiting problem.