Osteoarthritis in the neonate: risk factors and outcome

The aim of this study was to identify the clinical, radiological, and bacteriological features, risk factors, and outcome of neonates with bone and joint infections. Observational, retrospective, and analytical study of 77 patients less than 2 months of age, admitted to a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with the diagnosis of bone or joint infection, based on clinical, radiological, and microbiological criteria. Seventy-seven patients with 99 acute osteoarthritis foci in a 16 year period were included in the study. Risk factors for infection could be identified in 69% of the patients. The hip was the most frequent. Staphylococcus aureus was the main isolated microorganism. Twenty-nine infants (38%) had sequelae. Hip involvement, culture positive, and Staphylococcus aureus isolation were risk factors associated with sequelae. Osteoarticular infection is unusual in the neonate; however it is associated with an elevated incidence of sequelae. This mandates for a high degree of suspicion to diagnose this potentially disabling entity.