Surgical Management of Knee Septic Arthritis

Surgical excisional debridement is the mainstay of management in septic arthritis with necessary decompression, lavage, debridement, and partial synovectomy. However, there has been considerable debate over the optimal modality. Most surgeons perform an open arthrotomy or arthroscopic debridement, although serial aspiration can be considered as an option in very limited circumstances with patients who cannot tolerate surgery. While open arthrotomy has been often utilized, there has been an increasing number of proponents for arthroscopic treatment citing lower re-infection rates and better functional outcomes. However, there has been a lack of well-designed prospective studies comparing surgical treatment modalities for native knee septic arthritis. The goals of this present study are to determine if arthroscopic management of septic arthritis in the native knee resulted in a lower number of surgeries and a shorter length of stay compared to open arthrotomy. Secondary outcomes included differences in postoperative pain and improvements in Lysholm knee scores.