Summary.  Hemophilic arthropathy is one of the conditions most associated with arthrofibrosis and loss of range of motion. Progressive fibrosis of synovium leads to pain, spasm, and shortening of muscles, resulting in joint contractures and restriction of joint motion. It is common to see even young children with severe loss of motion of elbows, knees and ankles. Treatment should be primarily by physiotherapy, splintage, and corrective devices. The late or severe cases may require surgical correction in the form of soft‐tissue procedures, osteotomy and especially joint replacement

Joint bleeds cause major morbidity in haemophilia patients. The synovial tissue is responsible for removal of blood remnants from the joint cavity. But blood components, especially iron, lead to a series of changes in the synovial tissue: inflammation, proliferation and neovascularization. These changes make the synovium vulnerable to subsequent bleeding and as such a vicious cycle of bleeding‐synovitis‐bleeding may develop leading to chronic synovitis. The initial step in the treatment is adequate clotting factor supplementation and immediate physiotherapeutic involvement. If these measures fail, synovectomy may be indicated. Non‐surgical options are chemical and radioactive synovectomy. This is a relatively non‐invasive procedure to do synovectomy, leading to a reduction in pain and joint bleeds. Radioactive synovectomy seems more effective than chemical synovectomy in larger joints. Surgical options are open and arthroscopic synovectomy. Open synovectomy has been found to decrease the incidence of breakthrough bleeds but at the cost of loss of joint motion. Use of arthroscopic synovectomy has been advocated to reduce bleeding episodes with less morbidity to extra‐articular tissue and preservation of joint motion. Use of a continuous passive motion (CPM) machine and early mobilization can decrease the postoperative stiffness and promote early recovery. This review addresses the current understanding of synovitis and its treatment options with specific emphasis on chemical and radioactive synovectomy and surgical options.

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Summary. The aim of this article is to provide an up-todate overview on paediatric haemophilia care in the world, with emphasis on medical treatment, rehabilitation, and orthopaedic surgery. The reason these specific professions caregivers are included is that over 90% of bleeding episodes in people with haemophilia (PWH) occur within the musculoskeletal system; and of these 80% of bleedings occur in joints.