How is septic arthritis contracted?
Septic arthritis may be contracted in several ways including: hematogenous seeding, direct inoculation due to trauma, intervention, or postsurgical complication, or spread from adjacent soft tissue or bone infection. Risk factors for the development of septic arthritis include: intravenous drug use, medications that suppress the immune system, and underlying chronic medical conditions resulting in immunosuppression (such as diabetes mellitus, sickle cell disease, and rheumatoid arthritis, among others).
