Mini open surgical treatment of knee septic arthritis with local anesthesia: a prospective preliminary report

Abstract

Aim: Good pain management is provided via spinal and general anesthesia during knee joint drainage to treat septic arthritis, but the side effects are greater than those associated with local anesthesia, and the preparation process is long. Arthroscopic drainage under local anesthesia for knee septic arthritis treatment have been described, but this method requires special equipment. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the applicability of mini-open surgery under local anesthetic infiltration in cases of septic knee arthritis. Material and Method: 14 consecutive patients (eight men, six women) were admitted for knee septic arthritis treatment. Patient age ranged from 18 to 56 years, with an average age of 33 years. Drainage procedure was performed under local anesthesia, and the results were evaluated clinically. Results: The visual analog scale scores were between two and four (mean 2.8). The follow-up period was 10-21 months (mean 14.3). The Tegner and International Knee Documentation Committee scores were acceptable except for one patient. Discussion: This prospective study included mini-open surgery performed under local anesthesia on 14 septic knees, and showed that this method is safe, effective, well tolerated and be alternative to conventional techniques.