Septic Arthritis Complicating Growth Plate Integrity in Pediatric Cerebral Palsy: A Rare Presentation.
- 1Central Institute of Orthopaedics, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, India.
Abstract
Septic arthritis (SA) in children is a medical emergency that may lead to serious complications, including damage to the growth plate and long-term functional impairment. One of the rarest but most significant complications is physeal slip, particularly in non-ambulatory children with underlying neurological disorders. Early recognition is often challenging due to atypical clinical presentations, especially in patients with altered muscle tone or global developmental delay. This report highlights the diagnostic and therapeutic considerations in a case of distal femoral physeal separation secondary to SA in a neurologically impaired pediatric patient. The absence of classic symptoms such as fever, erythema, or warmth may delay clinical suspicion. Imaging modalities, including radiographs and ultrasound, are critical in identifying joint effusion and physeal disruption. Laboratory markers such as elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein can support the diagnosis. Definitive management requires urgent surgical drainage and debridement, stabilization of the physis, and a prolonged course of targeted intravenous antibiotics. This case underscores the importance of early multidisciplinary evaluation in high-risk populations. Prompt diagnosis and timely intervention are essential to prevent long-term complications such as deformity, joint instability, or growth disturbance.
Related
- Evaluation of the efficacy of Si-based agent in Rheumatoid Arthritis with complicating vestibular impairment
- Septic Arthritis of the Hip Complicating a Non-Perforated Acute Appendicitis - A Case Report and Review of the Literature.
- PINK1 agonist MTK458 attenuates cerebral edema by protecting blood-brain barrier integrity in intracerebral hemorrhage mice
- Cerebral Malaria Due to Plasmodium Vivax: An Unexpected Presentation
- From the Thoracic Outlet to the Brachial Plexus: A Rare Presentation of Pediatric Ewing Sarcoma
BibTeX
@article{kumar2026septic,
title = {{Septic Arthritis Complicating Growth Plate Integrity in Pediatric Cerebral Palsy: A Rare Presentation.}},
author = {Sandeep Kumar and Narendra Kumar and Mohit Patralekh and Karan Maggo},
journal = {Journal of orthopaedic case reports},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.13107/jocr.2026.v16.i11.8462},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42997073},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Septic Arthritis Complicating Growth Plate Integrity in Pediatric Cerebral Palsy: A Rare Presentation.
AU - Sandeep Kumar
AU - Narendra Kumar
AU - Mohit Patralekh
AU - Karan Maggo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/01
JO - Journal of orthopaedic case reports
DO - 10.13107/jocr.2026.v16.i11.8462
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42997073
AB - Septic arthritis (SA) in children is a medical emergency that may lead to serious complications, including damage to the growth plate and long-term functional impairment. One of the rarest but most significant complications is physeal slip, particularly in non-ambulatory children with underlying neurological disorders. Early recognition is often challenging due to atypical clinical presentations, especially in patients with altered muscle tone or global developmental delay. This report highlights the diagnostic and therapeutic considerations in a case of distal femoral physeal separation secondary to SA in a neurologically impaired pediatric patient. The absence of classic symptoms such as fever, erythema, or warmth may delay clinical suspicion. Imaging modalities, including radiographs and ultrasound, are critical in identifying joint effusion and physeal disruption. Laboratory markers such as elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein can support the diagnosis. Definitive management requires urgent surgical drainage and debridement, stabilization of the physis, and a prolonged course of targeted intravenous antibiotics. This case underscores the importance of early multidisciplinary evaluation in high-risk populations. Prompt diagnosis and timely intervention are essential to prevent long-term complications such as deformity, joint instability, or growth disturbance.
SN - 2250-0685
SN - 2321-3817
ER -