Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes and Treatment Algorithm for Septic Arthritis in Children

Background: Septic arthritis (SA) in children is an acute inflammatory disease of the joints. If not treated promptly, it could become a surgical emergency. The incidence of the disease in children in Europe is approximately 2–7 per 100,000 children. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate which of these treatments—arthrocentesis, arthrotomy, and arthroscopy—provides better results in children and when to use them. Methods: Three independent authors conducted a systematic review of PubMed, ScienceDirect, and MEDLINE databases to assess studies with any level of evidence that reported the surgical outcome of SA. Two senior investigators evaluated and approved each stage’s findings. Results: A total of 488 articles were found. After screening, we chose 24 articles that were suitable for full-text reading based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results of our analysis showed that there are no numerically significant differences reported in the literature on clinical and radiographic outcomes by surgical technique. Conclusions: We developed an algorithm that could be used if septic arthritis is suspected. Based on our results, the surgical technique to be used will depend on the operator who will perform it.