[Septic arthritis of the finger joints. Treatment with immediate arthrodesis].

A consecutive series of 44 patients with septic arthritis of finger joints is presented. The patients were treated with antibiotics, incision, debridement and usually drainage. In 13 patients with destruction of the joint cartilage, an arthrodesis was made at the time of incision. The failure rate with conventional therapy was 42 per cent. The failure rate in the arthrodesis group, which represented all the severe cases, was 23 per cent. In septic arthritis of finger joints with destruction of the cartilage arthrodesis with Kirschner-wire and interosseous wiring is recommended at the time of primary incision.