Table 1.

Relative merits of techniques currently used in clinical trials to sample synovial tissue.

	Arthroscopy		US-guided P&F Joint Size		US-guided NB
	Large	Small	Large	Small	Large	Small
Validation	+++	+	+	++	+	+
Technically simple	+	+	++	++	+++	+++
Patient acceptability^**	+++	^*	^*	^*	+++	+++
Suitable for serial biopsies	+++	+++	^*	^*	++	++

↵* No data available;
↵** No data available that directly compare techniques. P&F: portal and forceps; NB: needle biopsy; US: ultrasound.