Considerations and challenges of septic arthritis and osteomyelitis

Summary Septic arthritis remains a common orthopaedic condition in both human and veterinary medicine which can cause serious morbidity and pose considerable challenges for clinical management. The majority of the published clinical research in humans and veterinary species has been focused on the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and outcome of this condition, with less emphasis on the direct sequelae of this condition, especially regarding its effects on the local bone. Osteomyelitis and osteonecrosis are often discussed as separate entities, but it can be argued that there are numerous similarities between the conditions and they can co‐exist in clinical cases. The coexistence of these conditions has also likely been overlooked historically in part due to the difficulties in diagnosis. The evolution and adaptation of new diagnostic techniques available for the horse have and will continue to enable a more sensitive and specific appreciation of the pathologic lesions affecting tissues within and adjacent to the joint. The detection of these lesions provides new insights into the complex considerations in the management of septic arthritis and its bony sequelae.