Sapporo Medical Journal

Abstract : Background: Kocher’s criteria have been used for a long time as a screening tool in diagnosing septic arthritis of the hip. The study aimed to assess the clinical presentation and applicability of Kocher's criteria for diagnosing septic arthritis of all weight-bearing joints. Materials & Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional analytical study of septic arthritis in children <12 years was done by collecting all the necessary data from electronic medical records from January 2018 to December 2022. Results: In a total of 28 cases of arthritis, the knee joint was the most affected, at 14 (50%), followed by the hip at 11 (39.5%) and the ankle at 3 (10.7%). Kocher's modified criteria were applied to all three weight-bearing joints. Three of the five criteria appeared to be strong predictors for septic arthritis: non-weight bearing was seen in 26 (92.9%), and 25 (89.3%) of the cases showed raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Conclusions: Kocher’s criteria can be equally applied to all three major weight-bearing joints in diagnosing septic arthritis in contrast to only the hip joints, as mentioned in previous studies. Findings like the painful range of movements and an ultrasound investigation are important supplementary criteria for confirming the diagnosis.