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Joint Preservation in the Adult Knee pp 143–152Cite as

Septic Arthritis of the Knee

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Abstract

The knee is the commonest joint in the body to be affected by septic arthritis. Septic arthritis of the knee is usually caused by Staphylococcus aureus, but there is a wide spectrum of causative organisms, and Gram-negative organisms are implicated in 10–20 % of cases. The gold standard for diagnosis is joint fluid culture, but microscopy and Gram staining can be negative in up to 50 % of cases, and newer assays such as α-defensin and blood tests such as procalcitonin have potential to improve the diagnostic yield in the acute situation. Septic arthritis is serious with a mortality of over 10 % and permanent joint damage in 40 %. Recognition of symptoms, proper interpretation of investigations and prompt treatment are mandatory to achieve a good outcome.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, 369 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9NH, UK

    Simon D. S. Newman & Charles E. R. Gibbons

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  1. Simon D. S. Newman
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  2. Charles E. R. Gibbons
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Correspondence to Simon D. S. Newman .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, La Paz University Hospital-IdiPaz, Madrid, Spain

    E. Carlos Rodríguez-Merchán

  2. University College London, Institute of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Science, London, United Kingdom

    Alexander D. Liddle

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Newman, S.D.S., Gibbons, C.E.R. (2017). Septic Arthritis of the Knee. In: Rodríguez-Merchán , E., Liddle, A. (eds) Joint Preservation in the Adult Knee. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41808-7_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41808-7_12

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-41807-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-41808-7

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