Long-term functional results of the non-surgical treatment of common bacterial infections of joints.

Thirty patients with acute bacterial infection of a peripheral joint were treated with intravenous antibiotics, daily closed needle aspiration and early mobilization therapy. Joint mobility, expressed as a percentage of normal mobility, was evaluated at the end of the reconvalescence period and again after 42 to 65 months (mean: 50 months). The functional outcome was excellent and joint mobility normal in 2/3 of the cases as revealed by the short- and long-term evaluation results. Factors that affected joint mobility were: delayed treatment, joint disorders prior to treatment, and ease of access to the joint for needle aspiration. Poor results were found in the presence of hip infections. In the long term, deterioration of joint mobility can occur in the same aggravating conditions. Treatment of septic arthritis with daily needle aspiration and early mobilization gave very good functional results.