Postarthroscopy infection and septic arthritis

Abstract

Arthroscopy is a common, minimally invasive operative technique used for both diagnosis and treatment of a broad array of intra-articular pathology. Infectious complications are rare but when they occur can cause irreversible joint destruction and potentially fatal sepsis. Rapid diagnosis and treatment is crucial and imaging is capable of providing valuable information regarding the extent of infection and the status of the joint cartilage and subchondral bone. The goal of this article is to describe and illustrate examples of postarthroscopy soft tissue, joint, and bone infection using commonly used imaging modalities. Copyright © 2011 by Lippincott Williams &Wilkins.