Staphylococcus aureus bone and joint infection

Current evidence taken largely from the study of experimental animals suggests that numerous bacterial and host factors are involved in the pathogenesis of bone and joint infection. An overview of the data shows that infection has two consequences, local and systemic, with the immune response appearing to benefit the host overall by reducing the systemic effect and death but not the local damage. Antibiotics appear to protect the host, animal data for septic arthritis suggesting that antibiotics prevent death and reduce joint inflammation. Future prospects are to prevent infection with immunity, to prevent seeding in patients at risk of bacteraemia, and to modulate the immune response in order to prevent bone and joint destruction.