A Two-Stage Approach to Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty in Recurrent Septic Arthritis / 대한정형외과학회잡지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of a two-stage approach to primary knee arthroplasty with recurrent septic arthritis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 22 patients with recurrent septic arthritis, and we observed them for more than one year of follow-up survey from January 2005 to April 2012 at Yeungnam University Medical Center. The clinical assessment was performed following Knee Society knee score, Knee Society function score, and International Knee Documentation Committee Score (IKDC) subjective assessment. In addition, we analyzed the causative organisms, significant medical comorbidities (diabetes mellitus), period up to primary knee arthroplasty, and radiologic assessment with reference to disease prognosis. RESULTS: The average range of postoperative knee motion showed a good result, with an average of 115degrees. Knee Society knee score improved from 23.5 to 81.0, and Knee Society function score also increased from 22.5 to 73.2. Subjective assessment by IKDC was divided into 15 normal patients and 7 nearly normal patients. No significant difference was observed between patients with causative organisms and those with diabetes mellitus. In the final follow-up survey, recurrence of infection was not reported. CONCLUSION: A two-stage approach to primary knee arthroplasty with recurrent septic arthritis is a useful method, because it showed good clinical and radiologic results and favorable subjective assessment.

Septic Knee Arthritis Caused by Streptococcus sanguis in a Patient with Osteoarthritis of the Knee / 대한정형외과학회잡지

Streptococcus sanguis (S. sanguis) is a gram positive streptococcus bacteria which is found in the normal bacterial flora of the oral cavity and the upper respiratory tract. It has low virulence, but it can cause bacterial endocarditis through the blood circulation when dental calculus are removed from the teeth or during surgical treatment. Septic arthritis caused by S. sanguis has been reported as infecting the sternoclavicular joint and the knee joint, but it is a quite rare infectious disease that has not been reported in Korea. Therefore, the authors report a case of the septic arthritis in the knee joint caused by S. sanguis in a patient with osteoarthritis of the knee, who has the history of periodontitis.