Long-term functional results of the non-surgical treatment of common bacterial infections of joints

The long-term time course of septic arthritis

Aims

The aims of this study were to: 1) report on a cohort of skeletally mature patients with native hip and knee septic arthritis over a 14-year period; 2) to determine the rate of joint failure in patients who had experienced an episode of hip or knee septic arthritis; and 3) to assess the outcome following septic arthritis relative to the infecting organism, whether those patients infected by Staphylococcus aureus would be more likely to have adverse outcomes than those infected by other organisms.

Methods

All microbiological samples from joint aspirations between March 2000 and December 2014 at our institution were reviewed in order to identify cases of culture-proven septic arthritis. Cases in children (aged < 16 years) and prosthetic joints were excluded. Data were abstracted on age at diagnosis, sex, joint affected (hip or knee), type of organisms isolated, cause of septic arthritis, comorbidities within the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), details of treatment, and outcome.

Results

A total of 142 patients were confirmed to have had an episode of septic arthritis in a native hip (n = 17) or knee joint (n = 125). S. aureus accounted for 57.7% of all hip and knee joint infections. There were 13 inpatient deaths attributed to septic arthritis. The median age of the patients who died was 77.5 (46.9 to 92.2) and their median age-adjusted CCI was 8 (6 to 12). A failure of the joint occurred in 26 knees (21%) and nine hips (53%). Of the knee joints infected by S. aureus (n = 71), 23 knees (32%) went into failure of joint, whereas of those infected by other organisms (n = 54), only three knees (6%) failed.

Conclusion

Based on our study findings, hip and knee septic arthritis long-term outcomes were substantially worse than their immediate outcome suggested. Failure of knee joint is 6.1 times more likely to occur in those infected with S. aureus.

Temporomandibular Joint Septic Arthritis and Mandibular Osteomyelitis Arising From an Odontogenic Infection: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Septic arthritis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) has been infrequently reported in the literature. Some investigators believe that this condition is under-reported because it is underdiagnosed. Misdiagnosis or late diagnosis of this condition can lead to serious morbidity, including fistula formation, intracranial abscess, fibrous or bony ankylosis, temporal bone or condylar osteomyelitis, growth alteration, and several others. This report describes a case of septic TMJ arthritis arising from direct spread of an odontogenic infection with subsequent development of mandibular osteomyelitis. The purpose of this case report is to 1) increase awareness of an underdiagnosed condition, 2) establish the seriousness of this infection, 3) for the first time report on a case of TMJ septic arthritis caused by Bacteroides infection, and 4) provide a review of the relevant literature.

Streptococcal septic arthritis in adults. A study of 55 cases with a literature review

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the rate of occurrence and characteristics of streptococcal septic arthritis.

METHODS

Retrospective single-center study of patients with bacteriologically documented septic arthritis admitted to a rheumatology department over a 20-year period.

RESULTS

Of 303 cases of septic arthritis, 55 (18%) were due to streptococci and 166 (55%) to Staphylococcus aureus (55%). As compared to patients with S. aureus arthritis, patients with streptococcal arthritis was more likely to be in female (56% vs. 36%, P < 0.006) and older than 60 years of age (71% vs. 58%), less likely to have comorbidities (36% vs. 56%), rheumatoid arthritis (5% vs. 19%, P < 0.01), or diabetes (2% vs. 15%, P < 0.01), and more likely to have cancer (13% vs. 7%). Involved joints and proportions of patients with arthritis in multiple joints were similar in two groups. Mortality was lower in the group with streptococcal infection (3.6% vs. 7.8%). The streptococci were distributed as follows: group A (n = 7), group B (n = 12), group C (n = 4), group D (n = 7), group F (n = 1), group G (n = 2), nongroupable (n = 14), nontypable (n = 1), and Streptococcus pneumoniae (n = 7). Groups A and B and nongroupable strains mainly affected women; group A selectively involved younger patients and group B very elderly patients. Comorbidity, most notably cancer, was common in patients with S. pneumoniae or group D streptococci. The portal of entry was often a skin lesion for groups A and B and a medical procedure for group D. Multiple joint involvement was common with groups A and B and prosthetic joint infection with groups B and C. Group A and S. pneumoniae were associated with severe systemic symptoms and extra articular foci of infection, whereas a smoldering course was more common with groups D and G and with nongroupable strains. Residual joint abnormalities were noted in half the patients, with no differences across groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The features of streptococcal septic arthritis vary according to the group of the causative organism and differ from those of S. aureus arthritis.

Bacterial arthritis in the elderly: an overview

The key to successful treatment of acute bacterial arthritis is early diagnosis and initiation of empirical antibacterial therapy. Treatment includes antimicrobial therapy, debridement of the infected joint and treatment of pain. Empirical antibacterial treatment should be re-evaluated as soon as the causative pathogen is identified from joint fluid and other cultures. Mobilisation with partial weight bearing is encouraged early during treatment. The outcome of properly treated bacterial arthritis in the elderly is generally favourable and at least 50% of patients may recover without developing secondary osteoarthritis.

Septic arthritis of the glenohumeral joint. A report of 11 cases and review of the literature

Eleven cases (6 adults and 5 pediatrics) of shoulder septic arthritis are described, and the English literature from 1960 to 1997 reviewed, for a total of 168 cases. Shoulder septic arthritis is an uncommon and difficult diagnosis requiring a high index of suspicion and early evaluation of the affected shoulder by the clinician. The disease usually involves very young infants or elderly patients (65-75 years old). Associated medical conditions were identified in 60% of the patients and include systemic disorders such as liver diseases, alcoholism, and malignancies in 46%; preceding chronic arthritic disorders in 24%; and associated infectious focus in 13% of the patients. Associated infections were more prevalent in the pediatric population. Intravenous drug abuse appears not to constitute a major risk factor; it was identified in less than 5% of patients. All patients presented with acute shoulder ache or with exacerbation of existing chronic pain in joints previously damaged. Elevated body temperature (over 38 degrees C) appeared in 67% of the adult patients and in over 90% of the pediatric patients. Shoulder arthritis was frequently accompanied by an accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate that may rise above 100 mm/hr. Increased white blood cell count was found in approximately 40% of patients. The initial X-rays were frequently normal, while ultrasonography supported the diagnosis in some cases by demonstrating accumulation of fluid inside the joint space. Aspiration of synovial fluid from the affected glenohumeral joint was necessary to evaluate the offending pathogen. False-negative Gram stain appeared in approximately 90% of the patients, whereas synovial fluid cultures demonstrated the pathogen in 88% of patients. Blood cultures were positive in 50% of adult patients and 90% of pediatric patients. The most common isolated pathogen was Staphylococcus aureus, which accounted for 41% of infections. Gram-negative bacilli, which accounted for about 20% of infections, are more prevalent in the pediatric population, especially the neonates. Pyogenic shoulder arthritis should first be treated with intravenous antibiotics, effective at least against staphylococcal infections, until the organisms and sensitivities are identified. Duration of antibiotic therapy should be 3-6 weeks. Unfortunately, our experience in addition to the literature summary does not allow statistical analysis and firm conclusions concerning the best therapeutic approach. However, it appears that in the adult population an operative draining procedure is preferred, whereas in the pediatric population, a closed needle aspiration, if needed at all, is the optimal treatment. With prompt antibiotic therapy and drainage of the shoulder, the patient can be expected to improve clinically, with no serious long-term debilitating effects from the disease.

Management of penetrating joint injuries

A classification scheme for penetrating joint injuries is presented. Diagnostic techniques and treatment recommendations for managing penetrating joint injuries in small animals are described. Techniques used in human and equine patients are discussed for comparison.

Evaluation of treatment modalities for septic arthritis with histological grading and analysis of levels of uronic acid, neutral protease, and interleukin-1

We compared the effectiveness of antibiotics alone and in combination with arthroscopy, arthroscopy with debridement, arthrotomy, or needle aspiration for the treatment of septic arthritis. Each modality has its proponents, but, to our knowledge, no comparative studies have been conducted in animals. We used biochemical and histological analysis to compare these methods of treatment in an experimental model. The right hind knee of thirty goats was injected with 1 x 10(5) Staphylococcus aureus bacilli. The left hind knee was not inoculated and served as the normal control. Seventy-two hours after inoculation, a two-week course of treatment with intramuscular administration of cefuroxime sodium, either alone or in combination with another mode of treatment, was initiated in each of five groups. The cartilage was evaluated histologically with biochemical, enzymatic, and interleukin-1 analyses. Despite the early therapeutic intervention, on the average, there was a 25 per cent loss of uronic acid (t test, p < 0.001) and a 43 per cent increase in neutral protease activity (signed-rank test, p = 0.003) in the treatment groups. There were no significant intergroup differences with regard to the histochemical-histological rating or the levels of uronic acid, neutral protease, or interleukin-1.

Bacterial arthritis: are fever, rigors, leucocytosis and blood cultures of diagnostic value?

Clinical suspicion, positive gram stains and cultures of the synovial fluid are the fundamental criteria for the diagnosis of bacterial arthritis. Bacterial arthritis may, however, show an oligosymptomatic clinical course and thus lead to a delay in diagnosis. The case records of 43 patients with bacterial arthritis were reviewed retrospectively. Rigors (20.9%), fever (40.5%), blood leucocytosis (41.8%) and a shift to the left of blood leucocytes (35%) were found in less than half of all examined patients. Positive cultures of the synovial fluid (71.4%) were far more frequent than positive blood cultures (23.5%). We conclude, that the absence of fever, rigors, blood leucocytosis and positive blood cultures does not rule out the possibility of bacterial arthritis.

Synovial fluids from infected joints contain metalloproteinase--tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP) complexes

Samples of synovial fluids aspirated from patients with septic arthritis prior to the commencement of any treatment contained active metalloproteinases but no proteinase inhibitory activity. We therefore assayed these samples for proteinase-inhibitor complexes. Although no biologically active alpha 2-macroglobulin or tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP) was present in the fluids, immunoassay of the samples clearly showed that high molecular weight proteinase-TIMP complexes were present. It is proposed that high levels of active metalloproteinases are released from neutrophils into septic synovial fluids and that these proteinases complex all the available TIMP, forming metalloproteinase-TIMP complexes.

The management of open joint injuries

The prognosis for returning horses with open joint injuries to athletic function is most closely related to the duration of the injury prior to treatment. Prompt diagnosis and appropriate therapy should yield a favorable result. Delayed diagnosis or inappropriate therapy that allow the wound to progress to an infected state makes the likelihood of return to athletic function poor. Refractory joint infection can occur despite early diagnosis and prompt appropriate therapy. The development of these infections is undoubtedly increased by tissue loss and gross contamination. Appropriate antibiotics given long term probably play the most significant role in resolving joint sepsis. When the refractory nature of the infection is accompanied by cartilage loss and bone proliferation, aggressive treatment by open drainage, synovectomy, and arthrodesis of the joint should be considered.

Bacterial arthritis. A staphylococcal proteoglycan-releasing factor

We report the effect of staphylococci on induction of proteoglycan release from cartilage in organ culture and document the presence of a staphylococcal proteoglycan-releasing factor in the bacterial growth medium. Staphylococci cocultured with cartilage increased release of proteoglycan 3-4-fold within 48 hours. Viable cartilage was essential for maximum loss of proteoglycan. Killed bacteria had no effect on proteoglycan release. Four Staphylococcus aureus strains yielded growth media preparations active in proteoglycan release. Analysis of the proteoglycan subunits released from cartilage showed only limited degradation, and glycosaminoglycan chain length was not significantly altered.

Synovectomy in bacterial arthritis

Twenty patients with bacterial arthritis with either delay in diagnosis or no response to treatment are presented. Synovectomy, even when performed after 5 days and up to 4 weeks later, could prevent joint destruction in the knee but not in the hip. The average follow-up time was 5 (2-9) years.