Septic arthritis overview


 * Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Jumana Nagarwala, M.D., Senior Staff Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Henry Ford Hospital;

Overview
Septic arthritis is the invasion of the joint space by an infectious agent which produces arthritis. The usual etiology is bacterial, but viral, mycobacterial, and fungal arthritis occur occasionally. Bacteria are either carried by the bloodstream from an infectious focus elsewhere, introduced by a skin lesion that penetrates the joint, or by extension from adjacent tissue (e.g. bone or bursae).