MRI Findings of Septic Arthritis and Associated Osteomyelitis in Adults

Abstract

Synovial enhancement, perisynovial edema, and joint effusion had the highest correlation with the clinical diagnosis of a septic joint. However, almost a third of patients with septic arthritis lacked an effusion. Abnormal marrow signal-particularly if it was diffuse and seen on T1-weighted images-had the highest association with concomitant osteomyelitis.