Arthritis due to Infection
Any articulation, spinal or peripheral, may become the site of a septic process, the organism being introduced into the joint directly, by penetrating trauma or surgical procedures, or indirectly, through hematogenous spread from foci elsewhere in the body. Such blood stream seeding may be directly into synovial tissues or may enter the joint secondarily after infection of the adjacent bone marrow. In infants and children, prior to the closure of the epiphyses, the metaphyses are commonly the primary locus of hematogenous dissemination. Although many infectious agents have been found responsible for infected joints, certain ones are so rare as to be of investigative interest only. The more common infecting organisms may be divided into two groups, those causing an acute fulminating type of infection and those engendering a lowgrade chronic infection.
Acute Infectious Arthritis (Acute Pyogenic or Septic Arthritis)
This form of arthritis is usually caused