Arthroscopic treatment of septic knees in children.

Twenty patients were treated for septic arthritis of the knee with arthroscopic lavage (15 patients) or arthrotomy (five patients). Parenteral antibiotics were used in both groups, and both groups did well at follow-up. The advantages of arthroscopic debridement and irrigation over arthrotomy include low morbidity, minimal scarring and much earlier functional recovery (mean 10 days). The advantages over needle aspiration include complete joint visualization, lavage, and easy drain placement allowing suction-irrigation over several days, thus avoiding multiple aspirations. Arthroscopic treatment of knee sepsis in children is simple to perform, is associated with minimal morbidity, and affords excellent long-term results.