A case report demonstrates resolution of inflammatory arthropathy in a young man after ACL reconstruction, suggesting the need for careful diagnosis.
Case: A 21-year-old man presented with a postoperative arthropathy after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with symptoms resembling septic arthritis. After irrigation and debridement (I&D), the definitive diagnosis of a seronegative inflammatory arthropathy was reached and his symptoms resolved with the administration of immunomodulatory medications. Conclusion: The devastating complications of delayed treatment for septic arthritis often compel surgeons to perform I&Ds before a complete diagnostic workup is completed. This highlights that surgeons must be aware that not all postoperative arthropathies with elevated inflammatory markers are septic arthritis and a broad differential must be maintained to avoid delayed diagnosis and unnecessary procedures.
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Miltenberg et al. (2026) studied this question.
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