John P. Dormans, MD

Musculoskeletal infections in children include osteomyelitis, septic arthritis, and pyomyositis. Most of these infections are bacterial.

Musculoskeletal infections in children include osteomyelitis, septic arthritis, and pyomyositis. Most of these infections are bacterial. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common organism in children in all age cat-egories. Others include group A Streptococcus, Neisseria meningitidis in purpura fulminans, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Borrelia burgdorferi.

Musculoskeletal infections in children encompass a broad spectrum of entities that vary greatly in severity and complexity. Their presentation ranges from obvious and acute to insidious and chronic.