Septic Arthritis of the Sternoclavicular Joint: Radical Resection and Treatment with a Pectoralis Flap

After infection of a vascular prosthesis with generalised sepsis, a 59-year-old male patient suffered from an increasing swelling of his right sternoclavicular joint. We performed an incision and debridement of the SC joint and harvested material for microbiological diagnosis. However, we were not able to overcome the inflammation until we performed a radical resection including the medial aspect of the clavicle and parts of the manubrium followed by coverage with a pectoralis flap. The further course was uneventful with a good functional result. Reviewing data from the literature there are no unequivocal guidelines available for this rare disease. However, in most cases a radical debridement and a consecutive flap coverage are required.