Objective: Presenting a retrospective review of the results of treatment of children with septic arthritis of the hip and the investigation of the relationship between prognostic factors and the clinical results obtained. Methods: The patients evaluated (46) comprising 47 hips, who attended Orthopedics HIJG´s ambulatory clinic, answered a questionnaire, underwent physical examinations and radiographs of the pelvis, as well as the review of data from medical records. The patients were classified in terms of clinical and radiographic point of view according to both the classifications of Hunka and Choi, and were divided into groups for statistical comparison. Group 1 consisted of patients classified as Type IA and group 2 consisted of patients classified as Type IB to Type IVB. Results: The disease affected 30 boys, affecting the right hip in 26 children and both sides in one child. The average age at the presentation was 50 months, being higher in group 1 (p = 0.023). The synovial fluid culture was positive in 23 patients and Staphylococcus aureus grew in 18 of them. Symptoms lasted on average for 3.5 days before surgery, the wait being shorter in group 1 (p = 0.03). The treatment outcome was satisfactory in most cases. Conclusion: Young patients, who did not limp during the initial medical exam, with synovial fluid culture positive for Staphylococcus aureus and delay in undergoing surgical treatment, were associated with poor outcomes.
Septic Arthritis; Hip; Childrens
