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Semin Musculoskelet Radiol 2025; 29(02): 293-301
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1802352
Review Article

Septic Arthritis: Current Concepts

Bryce D. Beutler
1   Department of Radiology, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California
,
Carina Chang
2   Department of Anesthesiology, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland
,
Ellen Y. Chang 
3   Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
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Abstract

Septic arthritis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with survivors often facing long-term functional impairments. Prompt diagnosis is crucial to decrease complications such as cartilage loss, osteomyelitis, and reduced mobility. Imaging plays a central role in the diagnosis, as well as offering guidance for diagnostic aspiration. Because septic arthritis may involve any joint in the body, both native and prosthetic, different imaging modalities may be more applicable in various scenarios. We describe the hallmark imaging findings of septic arthritis in radiography, ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and nuclear medicine scintigraphy, as well as the associated complications.

Keywords

septic arthritis - radiology - imaging - image guidance


Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
31. März 2025

© 2025. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.
333 Seventh Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10001, USA

 

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