[Epidemiology of osteomyelitis and arthritis in infants].

A retrospective study realised over 10 years in the orthopaedic unit of the children's hospital of Tunis allowed to collect 206 cases of osteomyelitis and arthritis in infant (3 months--3 years old). In 74.6% of the cases, infection involved the joint. There is a single focus of the infection in 92.6% of the cases, more often at the lower limbs. The pathogen has been isolated in 33% of the cases. Staphylococcus aureus (52 %) is the more frequent pathogen, especially in osteomyelitis. Enterobateria (16%), Streptococcus (17.7%) (Streptococcus pneumonia: 10.7%), and Hemophylus influenzea (5.3%) were often isolated in arthritis.