Septic arthritis of the facet joint is also a severe vertebral infection: A multicenter retrospective study of 65 patients
Authors' conclusion
SAFJ is a rare but severe disease. Microbiological diagnosis is primarily made on blood cultures, and S. Aureus was the main pathogen.
Study context
- Population
- Patients hospitalised with septic arthritis of the facet joints (Newman's criteria; facet joint arthritis on imaging), Infectious Diseases or Rheumatology departments of 5 French CRIOGO centres, 2016–2019
- Participants
- 65 patients
- Outcome
- Clinical, biological and imaging presentation and course of Septic arthritis of the Facet Joints (SAFJ)
Methodological detailsmulticentre
- Multicentre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Presentation of SAFJ
- Male
- 64.6%
- Mean age
- 68.1 years
- Mean time to diagnosis
- 25.0 days
- Acute back pain at diagnosis
- 95.2%
- Fever at diagnosis
- 76.9%
- Neurological symptoms
- 60.7%
- Motor deficit or cauda equina syndrome
- 16.4%
- Lumbosacral location
- 73.4%
- Multifocal
- 4.7%
- Bacteriological identification by blood cultures
- 84.4%
- Staphylococcus aureus
- 49.2%
- Infective endocarditis (patients assessed by echocardiography)
- 26.9%
- MRI: soft tissue abscess or inflammation
- 87.1%
- MRI: epiduritis
- 66.7%
- MRI: epidural abscess
- 33.9%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Mortality · one, two, and three years
- Mortality at one year
- 9.2%
- Mortality at two years
- 18.5%
- Mortality at three years
- 23%
MRI soft-tissue abscess or inflammation, epiduritis and epidural abscess
- Soft tissue abscess or inflammation
- 87.1%
- Epiduritis
- 66.7%
- Epidural abscess
- 33.9%
- Pathogen significantly more frequently Staphylococcus aureus in these cases
Original publication
Septic arthritis of the facet joint is also a severe vertebral infection: A multicenter retrospective study of 65 patients. Joint Bone Spine. Published 7 February 2024. doi:10.
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