Ross and Shamsuddin identified a number of risk factors associated with septic arthritis of the sternoclavicular joint. The authors are from Caritas Saint Elizabeth's Medical Center in Boston and the University of Iowa.
Risk factors:
(1) parenteral drug abuse (intravenous, anabolic steroids, other)
(2) infected central line
(3) infected arteriovenous fistula
(4) infection at a distant site, with transient or persistent bacteremia
(5) diabetes mellitus
(6) trauma
(7) chronic renal failure
(8) alcoholism
(9) cirrhosis
(10) therapy with corticosteroids
(11) AIDS
(12) cancer
(13) animal bite or scratch
(14) gout
(15) autoimmune disease (rheumatoid arthritis or vasculitis)
(16) COPD
(17) cardiac disease
(18) organ transplantation
(19) post splenectomy
(20) radiation therapy
(21) postpartum
A patient may develop septic arthritis of the sternoclavicular joint without any obvious risk factor.
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