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Treatment of staphylococcal septic arthritis in rabbits by systemic antibiotics and intra-articular corticosteroids
  1. A J Wysenbeeka,
  2. J Volcheka,
  3. M Amita,
  4. D Robinsonb,
  5. I Boldurc,
  6. Z Nevob
  1. aDepartment of Medicine B, Assaf Harofeh Medical Centre, Zerifin, Israel, bDepartment of Clinical Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel, cDepartment of Microbiology, Assaf Harofeh Medical Centre, Zerifin, Israel
  1. Professor A J Wysenbeek, Department of Internal Medicine B, Assaf Harofeh Medical Centre, Zerifin 70300, Israel.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To assess the effect of intra-articular corticosteroids added to systemic antibiotics in experimental septic arthritis.

METHODS Rabbits were injected intra-articularely by Staphylococcus epidermidis. Rabbits received no additional treatment and served as control (group 1), were treated with systemic antibiotics (group 2), or treated with systemic antibiotics and intra-articular corticosteroids (group 3). After 15 days animals were killed and joint histopathological-histochemical parameters were assessed.

RESULTS All rabbits survived the experiment. The treated groups (2–3) had lower histological-histochemical scores in comparison with the untreated group (1). Group 3 had significantly lower scores in joint sections in comparison with group 2: (mean (SD) 6.5 (1.4) v 4.0 (1.0), p=0.001 and 7.4 (2.6)v 4.2 (2.2), p= 0.01), because of lower damage expressed in clustering of chondrocytes, pannus formation, proteoglycan depletion, and synovitis.

CONCLUSION Addition of local corticosteroids to systemic antibiotics in septic arthritis seems to be harmless, and improves joint histological-histochemical parameters in this experimental setting.

  • infectious arthritis
  • corticosteroids
  • rabbits

https://doi.org/10.1136/ard.57.11.687

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