Brodie's Abscesses Can Stimulate the Growth Plate in Children

Introduction: We present a series of children with lower limb Brodie's abscesses (subacute osteomyelitis) with subsequent deformities. Method: A retrospective examination of the paediatric bone and joint infection database from 2014-2017 was performed. All children have MRI scans and blood tests including full blood count, ESR and CRP. MRI identified collections were drained surgically. Results: There were 68 children with bone and joint infections, and 6 had a Brodie's abscess. 4 Brodie's abscesses were adjacent to a growth plate, all these had resultant growth deformities. Some deformities develop up to 3 years after initial presentation. Discussion: We recommend long-term vigilance for growth deformity after a Brodie's abscess. In particular we demonstrate that infection can result in stimulation of the physis, as opposed to growth retardation as generally accepted.