The cells making up the lining of the synovium have long been known as type A and B synoviocytes, with an intermediate form sometimes also described. Accumulating evidence shows that the type A cells are macrophages and the type B cells are fibroblasts. Recently, a definite orientation of these cells within the synovial lining has been observed. The number of synovial lining cells increases in joint disease, and this now seems more likely to be due to cellular recruitment rather than local proliferation.