Acute haematogenous osteomyelitis and septic arthritis in childhood. A 10-year review and follow-up
Petersen, S.; Knudsen, F.U.; Andersen, E.A.; Egeblad, M.
Acta Orthopaedica Scandinavica 51(3): 451-457
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0001-6470 PMID: 7446025 Document Number: 156608
Children [73] with osteomyelitis or septic arthritis were included in a retrospective study and clinical and radiological follow-up. Ten cases of osteomyelitis occurred during the neonatal period and about half of the cases of osteomyelitis and septic arthritis occurred before the age of 2 yr. Staphylococcus aureus was the dominating bacterial pathogen isolated and half of the strains were penicillin-resistant. The group of children with osteomyelitis who were given early antibiotic treatment, i.e., within 1 wk, against penicillin-resistant S. aureus had a higher clinical cure rate after 1 mo. (0.01 < P < 0.025) compared to the rest of the children. Five children developed recurrent or chronic osteomyelitis. An early follow-up in 69 children 1-11 yr after the disease showed that none had any complaints or invalidity. One patient with neonatal septic arthritis presented severe dysplasia and subluxation of the hip and 4 children with osteomyelitis had severe, but asymptomatic, radiological changes.