Step 1: Define the condition - septic arthritis is direct pyogenic infection of a synovial joint, most often seeded through the bloodstream from a remote focus.
Step 2: Note the typical patient, often a toxic child with fever, tachycardia, a hot swollen tender joint, and refusal to bear weight or move the limb.
Step 3: Rank the joints by frequency - the large, superficial, weight-bearing knee tops the list of joints affected.
Step 4: Hip, shoulder and elbow follow but are less common, so the single best answer is the knee.
\[\boxed{\text{Knee}}\]