Concomitant Septic Arthritis and Tophaceous Gout of the Knee Managed with Intermittent Closed Joint Irrigation Combined with Negative Pressure Therapy: A Case Study and Literature Review

Abstract

Tophaceous gout complicated by septic arthritis presents a management dilemma which can often require multiple surgical debridements. There is little published in the literature regarding treatment of these concomitant conditions. We postulate that biofilm may play a role increasing the difficulty of sterilising a tophaceous joint. The use of topical negative pressure therapy that targets biofilm has been well established for a range of wounds. A new device that incorporates both intermittent negative pressure therapy and wound irrigation was introduced in 2012. This case report describes the use of this topical negative device with the instillation option in the management of severe septic arthritis with concomitant gout and suggests directions for further research.