Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2007 , Vol 53 , Num 3

Acute Septic Arthritis in Osteonecrosis of The Knee: Case Report

Burcu Yanık 1 ,Yeşim Kurtaiş 2 ,Ayşe Küçükdeveci 3
1 Fatih Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Fiziksel Tıp ve Rehabilitasyon Anabilim Dalı, Ankara
2 Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
3 Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Fiziksel Tıp ve Rehabilitasyon Anabilim Dalı, Ankara

We report a case with septic arthritis in the left knee, with underlying osteoarthritis and osteonecrosis. The left knee pain had increased; swelling, local fever had been added to the symptoms. After clinical examination, laboratory and imaging studies and synovial fluid analyses, the patient was diagnosed as acute septic arthritis on osteonecrosis of the knee. Clinical and laboratory improvement were obtained by immediate medical treatment. Although osteonecrosis is not well documented as a predisposing factor for septic arthritis, we want to attract attention to osteonecrosis process which in fact may predispose the joint to septic involvement. When a patient with osteonecrosis develops sudden worsening of joint pain or fever, the probability of septic arthritis in the affected joint must be remembered.

Keywords : Knee, osteoarthritis, osteonecrosis, septic arthritis