Physiotherapeutic Approach for Septic Arthritis of Knee Joint

Abstract

Septic arthritis is an orthopaedic emergency associated with poor prognosis in cases with delayed treatment. The standard routes through which the infection spreads are hematogenous and direct entry. Any delay in medicine could mean the patient facing severe joint destruction, limitation in joint range, and inability to do activities of daily living. Septic arthritis is treated with a multidisciplinary approach in which physiotherapy is essential in making patients functionally independent. This article discusses a 58-year-old male patient with pain and swelling in the right knee joint and difficulty doing activities like walking, squatting and climbing stairs. On further investigations and diagnostic arthroscopy, he was diagnosed with septic/pyogenic arthritis caused by Staphylococcus aureus in the right knee. The patient was being treated with antibiotics. Along with it, patient-tailored physiotherapy rehabilitation, including, but not limited to, strengthening, range of motion (ROM) exercises, endurance training, etc., was also given, which proved highly effective at enhancing the patient's functional independence and quality of life. The outcome measure used in this report is the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS).