Abstract

Acute osteomyelitis and septic arthritis are the most common cause of morbidity in childhood. These occur more commonly in children upto 5 years of age. The most common organism responsible is Staphylococcus aureus, however, many other organisms are also known to cause osteoarticular infections in children. These infective conditions demand a prompt diagnosis and management, as any delay can lead to joint destruction, instability, deformity and significant limb length discrepancy. Thus early diagnosis and prompt management are of importance to achieve optimal goals. The clinical presentation of a child with osteoarticular infection is typical; with presence of fever, swelling and inability to move the affected extremity. However, sometimes the typical clinical findings are missing. Therefore it is important to follow a specific clinical, laboratory and imaging work-up to reach a definitive diagnosis. Following appropriate diagnosis, the further management protocol should be followed, with appropriate choice and dose of antibiotics and surgical debridement as required. The aim of this review article is to discuss the current concepts in acute osteomyelitis and septic arthritis in children. This article discusses the recent literature on etiological organisms, pathophysiology, current trends in investigations and management of osteoarticular infections in children

Authors and Affiliations