Preparation of 153Sm-chitosan complex for radiation synovectomy.

A samarium 153-chitosan complex was prepared by simply mixing acidic solutions of chitosan and (153)SmCl(3). When a solution of this complex was injected into the knee joints of rabbits, minimal extra-articular leakage was observed. This can be attributed to the rapid change in the pH of the complex solution from acidic to neutral, resulting in the formation of gel followed by the subsequent retention in the administered site. Thus, the complex solution represents a promising candidate for radiation synovectomy.