Septic arthritis of the sternoclavicular joint (SCJ) is a rare condition accounting for 0.5% of bone and joint infections. The majority of cases require joint resection and advancement flaps to provide coverage to the resulting wound defect. However, in the setting of an infected wound space, surgeons are often inclined to allow wound healing by secondary intention. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) can be an important adjunct to promote and shorten wound healing time following SCJ resection.
Keywords: clavicle; negative pressure wound therapy; septic arthritis; sternoclavicular joint infection; sternum.